The Guardian of Shadows
by M.R.Roth
Summary: Everything at Stake - Everyone at Risk. Hiccup and Jack are attending their fifth year at Hogwarts, 20 years after the Second Wizarding War. But a mysterious dark creature decides to break from their world into our own. A new kind of war is coming. How can Jack and Hiccup know who they can trust? How can the world survive its darkest threat? Who is the Guardian of Shadows?
1. Prophet

**Chapter One: Prophet**

The days were getting darker. Even the muggles could tell it. The winds that came from the North of England smelled and felt like change.

And so felt the wizards. The lonely man in his intense purple cape walked on his own, his head bent down as the shadows of the cloudy day hid his face from the curious muggles who saw him. No one could tell how he simply appeared from the back of a dark alley a few blocks behind that street. No one noticed his wand, which he hid so easily on his belt.

Not even when he entered the muggle Prime Minister's office.

They did not greet each other. Not as normal leaders would anyways. But the muggle minister would not make a comment on it. He knew better than to point mistakes from wizards.

"To what do I owe you this pleasure, Shaw?" The man behind his wooden desk said. The other could feel it in his voice how scared he was.

"I am not here for a long talk, minister." The wizard said, stepping into the office and sitting gingerly on the chair in front of the table, face to face with the muggle Prime Minister. "I want to take care of these rumours."

The muggle knew exactly which rumours he was talking about. Even though the wizarding world was a secret among the muggles, the sights and occurrences that had shaken the news lately made people speculate about the disappearances, the strange snake-like shapes in the clouds, and those strange spontaneous lightings in the midnight sky in an apparently calm night. Many people saw the flashes that erupted from the skies, and among with a few dead bodies scattered around the city.

However, the exposure of the wizarding world was not something to be jerked with. The two men in that room knew that very well.

"So what is this Obscurus thing you have mentioned?" The Prime Minister asked, trying to absorb the shattered fragments of the strange words he heard. He could not make sense of any of it.

"Nothing you need to worry about now, but something that is threatening the non-wizard community just as much as the magical these days…"

"Oh, you wait," To that, the prime minister had to raise his voice. "So you are telling me that I do not need to worry about the death of my citizens? By the hands of your people?"

"No, I think you've heard me wrong." The wizard was not affected by the harsh tone on the prime minister, he only stared straight into the eyes of the prime minister.

"Then do enlighten me." The other demanded.

"What I am saying…" The wizard minister finally stood up, heading towards the small chimney on the wall. "Nice to know I won't have to walk from here." He mumbled to himself as he grabbed a small pack from his pocket, full of a dense ash-like powder. "What I am saying is that if these attacks keep happening, and our own kind cannot contain it," for the prime minister's surprise, the wizard stepped into the fire, the orange glow turning green. "Then there is absolutely nothing you can do about it."

And with a swift motion, the fire engulfed the wizard in bright green flames, twisting ashes and sparks around, and then he was gone, leaving behind an astonished prime minister and a death promise.

#

But none of them knew about the secret meeting at midnight.

The dark hooded figures that walked into the streets, their steps echoing against the dark wooden walls that surrounded them. The crime alley, as the wizards called it, where at least a dozen of hooded wizards stood in a circle. All of them silent, waiting for his arrival. There was blood in the air. They could feel it.

As soon as they felt the burning sensation, though, they knew it. And one second after, the air twisted in a horrible sound, and the new figured appeared, this one taller and stranger than the rest.

"Where is she?" a cold, horrible voice emanated from the last figure.

With no ceremonies, the woman's figure materialized above them, her body still, but her eyes open and focused, not on them, but at something no one else could see.

" _Talk."_ The leader commanded, his wand pointed at the woman's face, which twisted in agony before she could release the words:

" _The reckoning is coming. The ones around you shall fall, and you cannot tell who will fall next, for it is raw and unprejudiced. The Key will open the box, and the balance between all dual things will settle. Only the ones who guard the darkness within can perform the darkest magic of all time, but there will be one who will subdue the shadows and conquer the bloodlines, and when this cursed child is made free, time will reverse and the affliction shall at last come to an end."_

They all stared, the words still being processed in their heads. That message meant no good for them.

" _Avada kedavra,"_

There was a flash of green, and the woman's body sank in the ground. Dead.

The leader stared for a moment, before his voice made presence again.

"They never make it easy for us, now do they? Always talking in riddles, shaping their worlds from…" He took his time to find the words, not before removing his hood and showing his face. "Enigmas."

His skin was as grey as a stormy sky above them. His piercing grey eyes, as if colour had been extracted from them, leaving behind a lifeless vision.

"Keep yourselves awaken, lads," his eyes scanned all the faces around him as they too removed their hoods, "We have work ahead of us."


	2. Sorting

**Chapter Two: Sorting**

The platform was crowded with people in a hurry to get nowhere.

The carriage being pushed by the small boy was not steady enough by his sweaty shaky hands. The auburn hair fell over his eyes, and his freckles were hidden in the blush of his cheeks. Not for self-embarrassment, but nobody around would stop staring the large hulking man behind him. Stoick would not stop complaining about how the muggle transportation was unpractical, how the people were _too fragile these days_ or how much he wished he never left Berk that morning. Not that he despised Hiccup (his wife just a few steps ahead of him would never let him get those thoughts loose). But today was First of September. Hiccup's first time at Platform 9/5.

Hiccup's thoughts were wandering around his… peers back home, some of which were also going to their first year at Hogwarts, to all of his found pets back on the woods behind his house, and especially if that actually meant a new beginning as he was promised.

He always knew he had magical blood. Ever since he could remember, some unexplained disaster would happen near him whenever he tried to do something unusually… odd. Peculiar – his mother would say, - disastrous – his father would say. But that was the way Hiccup was. Different. Something unexpected as his own name indicated.

"…Just think about it, son, when you get sorted into Gryffindor." Hiccup could almost _feel_ that dreamful look in his father's expression.

"Stoick." Valka hissed beneath her breath. "What did we talk about pressure?"

"Oh that's right, I'm sorry luv'," Stoick swallowed his own voice, searching for better words to say. "Doesn't matter which house you end up, of course I'd luv' it if you ended up at Gryffindor…" Valka hissed again. "But Hufflepuf wouldn't be so bad…"

"Oh come on dad, seriously?" Hiccup complained as he rolled his eyes to his dad's cluelessness.

"Or even Slytherin!" He tried to correct himself. "Just not Ravenclaw, these folks were so weird…" Valka hissed again, this time making sure of sending an incredulous glance at her husband direction. "Oh please, luv', those 'goody-two-shoes' dressed in blue and talking nonsense all the time, they are just odd."

"It doesn't matter where you end up, sweetie, your father and I will be proud for you just as much." She said finally.

Yeah, right, Hiccup thought. His dad was the Quidditch team captain at Gryffindor, all the medals, all the honour (and legacy), and so did his mother. Of course that the similarity between Hiccup and Stoick was non-existent. While Stoick was all muscles and manliness strength, Hiccup was a stick with a mouth and a sharp brain.

"Just go for it… son." Stoick tried to instruct him, but Hiccup was already half-way into the wall, crossing the magical boundary and entering platform 9/5. Stoick smiled proudly for a moment.

That kind of craziness did not really scare Hiccup, things like running into magical things, doing things his own way (messy, but definitely intuitive) or just breaking the rules sometimes. Which, sadly enough was one of the reasons why Stoick was so strongly sure he'd end up at Gryffindor.

The platform was crowded with people, but instead of boring suits and rushed appointments, they wore bright coloured robes, they all covered in thick white steam coming from the Hogwarts Express. Hundreds of carriages with owls, bags and things Hiccup still hadn't seen his entire life, all of it blooming with colour and magic.

"Mom," He whispered, but he knew she would hear. "What if I am not sorted into Gryffindor?" He asked what was actually consuming his mind that entire month.

His mom was a gentle witch; she bent down to him, her hand brushed his cheeks once.

"Then you will find out something wonderful about yourself." She told him. "Don't let your father's words reach you, just let things happen naturally. You can get surprised."

Hiccup gasped. "But what if I am sorted, let's say, into Ravenclaw?"

Deep down, he knew that could happen. Hiccup was smart, that was for sure. But also brave. And ambitious and kind. But Gryffindor and Ravenclaw still stood out the most.

"Then Ravenclaw will have the bravest wizard it has ever know, just as much as Gryffindor would have one of its brightest students."

To that, Hiccup actually felt a bit relieved. His mom would know what to say whenever he needed to.

"Not as bright as the Minister." He said. His mom simply smiled, kissing his cheeks once before the train made a loud sound, warning the students to finally get into the train.

He gave his mom a long hug; his dad an awkward one, and after all the 'yes, I'll write you', 'no, I did not forget it', Hiccup Haddock climbed into the Hogwarts express.

"He is going to be fine." Valka reassured her proud husband.

Stoick was still waving, even though Hiccup was not at the window.

"I really hope so." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

#

But in reality, Hiccup was still wandering through the wagon, his heavy trunk being dragged behind him as the older teens laughed and giggled around, filling the compartments one by one. That fear started to rise on him again, what if nobody wanted to sit next to him? What if he had to stand up all the way to Hogwarts? Would he ever make friends once he got to the school?

Eventually, after a few more minutes wandering around the train, he reached an empty compartment. He preferred it that way. Whenever he would try to get in a conversation with someone, he would find his way to stumble at his words, stutter and choke out incomprehensible things. He would rather be left alone.

After trying (key work try) to lift his trunk to the wooden support above his head, he finally sank on the seat. He stared at the trees outside through the window. He did not know where he was going, but he hoped it was better than the place he was leaving behind. On his backpack, he found his old books (the ones he insisted on not putting into his trunk).

It passed half an hour into his old heavy books when the door to his compartment slid open, and before he could even acknowledge it, a boy with spiky white hair slipped into his compartment, shutting the door behind him, then jumping over his trunk and bent down beneath it, concealing himself completely near Hiccup's legs.

Yes, Hiccup's trunk was that big.

"Excuse me." Hiccup stuttered a bit at the shock.

"Shush." The boy said, and he could not see his face. "I am not here."

And just as he finished saying it, a group of third years walked through the halls, stumbling on their steps as they crashed into one another. Of the boys, the tallest of them, lifted his wand, waving it once before the compartment door slid back open.

"Oi', did you see a white haired guy running around here?"

Hiccup's stomach sank, and he gulped before he felt cold sly fingers holding the base of his leg. Immediately, he remembered all the times someone that were not his parents ever touched him, nearly always to bully him somehow. He still had a faint bruise from the last time he got beat up. But those fingers did not feel like that. He quickly shook his head no.

"I think I heard steps running ahead on the corridor." He lied. Hiccup was good at lying.

The boy nodded at him, waving his head once before disappearing with his friends. After they were gone, the boy behind his trunk lifted his head gingerly, then rising to his feet, taking careful steps towards the door before he shut it back, locking it.

"Thank you." He said. He had a playful but alert tone on his voice, mischief clearly distinguishable.

"What did you do to those guys?" Hiccup finally found back his voice.

The boy smirked once.

"That kid Hopper was making everybody sick already with that stupid girlfriend of his. Like, bloody hell, they simply wouldn't stop snogging around even when everybody was looking at them." The boy said all of that very quickly, but that glint of mischief never left his voice. His hands dared forwards to the curtains that covered the door, closing them. "I guess that'll do the trick. Need some help with that trunk, by the way?"

Hiccup took his time to realize that his enormous trunk was still occupying half the room in that compartment. He waved his head, setting his book aside.

"Yes, please." He said, already standing up to help the boy to grab his trunk.

When he stood up, he realized that the other boy could not be much older than him. Even though he was nearly a foot taller. They helped each other stuffing the trunk in its place, almost letting it drop at Hiccup's head.

"Thank you." The brown haired boy asked.

"You're welcome." He said with a kind smile, right before offering his hand to shake. "I'm Jack, by the way. Jackson Overland."

Hiccup took his hand, his grip much lighter than Jack's.

"My name is Hiccup," He let his voice die before the name could be heard, though.

"I beg your pardon?" Jack asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's Hiccup…" However, the name still sounded muffled.

"You should try speaking it to the outside," Jack actually smiled. Hiccup only blushed.

"Name's Hiccup." He said it a bit too fast, but he would not say it again. Jack's eyes went wide for a while, before his mouth shut in a tight line. "You can laugh, not going to blame you."

But Hiccup's tone was clearly hurt, and Jack noticed it. But he knew that it wasn't Jack that was upsetting him. And immediately the laughter was gone, leaving a caring tone instead.

"Hiccup." He repeated. "It is…"

"Stupid." Hiccup finished it for him.

"I would say different." Jack corrected. "Much more different than Jack, if you think about it."

It was Hiccup's turn to grin.

#

The great hall was shining with the candles that floated ten feet above the students. Even though Hiccup had heard of it a hundred times before, it still was amazingly beautiful, the way the sky mixed up with the roof into a wonderful mess of stars, galaxies and architecture.

All the first years gathered in front of the farthest table in the Hall, where a tall witch with green robes and a pointy hat held a roll of parchment in her hands. The Sorting Hat right behind her, still asleep before he had to sing his annual poetry.

Jack stood next to Hiccup all the way until there, both of chatting excitedly about random subjects. None of them mentioned their families though. Moreover, Jack, just like Hiccup, had absolutely no idea which house he was going. However, unlike Hiccup, he did not care.

Hiccup's mind was wandering around the houses when he finally realised that many students had been sorted into their houses. Astrid Hofferson made it to Gryffindor, along with another two of his village. Steven Jorgenson was sent to Slytherin. Only when the name _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock_ echoed through the walls, and a deadly silence made its presence, that he gulped in fear.

He looked for Jack only once, fearing for recognition to his name, or anything, but found only an encouraging grin directed to him. But as he stepped forwards, he heard the whispers.

"Horrendous? Stoick's son?"

"He doesn't look like him at all."

"Hiccup? What the hell of name is that?" Laughter was heard around the Hall.

Hiccup sank in the seat, the sorting hat being gingerly put on his head.

' _A Haddock?_ ' A small voice echoed inside the darkness of the hat. ' _I had a few of you. What is inside this head of yours? I see bravery, oh yes. And a huge tendency for witness too. Ambition? Clearly lots of it, and nothing short of fairness, but now, where do I put you?_ '

Hiccup's mind flooded with a million thoughts. They all leaded back to Stoick's words.

' _Oh, so you have a legacy here, don't you boy?_ ' The voice said. ' _Are you going to keep up living your father's dream or start to live your own life? In this case, I have no doubt in my mind when I send you to-_ '

"RAVENCLAW!"

#

A deadly silence filled the Hall as Stoick's nightmare became true.

"Ravenclaw?" The voices echoed through the Great Hall when the students took in what had just happened. A Haddock that was not sent to Gryffindor.

"It would have surprised me if he _was_ sent to it. He's so small!"

"He looks like a toothpick!"

"He really is a Haddock, but only the fishbone of it." Laughter followed.

Hiccup was already sinking among his new peers from Ravenclaw when Jack's name was heard. If not proudly enough, the name Gryffindor roared across the Hall. Jack's eyes met Hiccup's one last time before he disappeared into his new house.

Hiccup's only coherent thought was _"You are screwed now."_


	3. Edges

**Chapter Three: Edges**

Hiccup would have been glad to say that he and Jack kept their friendship even after they parted ways in different houses. That they hanged out whenever they could and were like the best of friends through everything.

Only no.

They became as far and as different as two people could get.

Hiccup was pretty much the abort of Gryffindor. Yep, that was his identifier. Hidden beneath mountains of books, Ravenclaw clearly written all over his face. Still scrawny and small, as it always had been.

And as lonely as ever when Jack made his new friends at his own house. Smart enough, sassy and with the word FUN written all around him, Jack was doing just fine on his own. If Hiccup had to be completely honest now, he didn't really care. He was upset that Jack never went to talk to him again, even though he winked at him a couple times whenever they saw each other in the halls, but they hardly shared any class, and Jack was always surrounded by people, something Hiccup always ran away from.

The news that he was sent to Ravenclaw did not go well with his dad's wishes. In fact, the first letter he ever received was his mother's alone. It took Stoick a big time to talk to Hiccup when he came back home for Christmas, and then again for the ending of first year.

And then, the Second year.

 _'_ _I am all I have'_ , Hiccup thought to himself, ' _As it always has been, it'll be fine.'_ He repeated that to himself again and again. He could do just fine on his own. He was smart, and ingenious, always finding something new to work on, or to study. Brilliant but lonely. He convinced himself that he was okay with that.

"…And son, remember to try and have fun," Stoick's words followed Hiccup's steps, both of then two years older. Hiccup was going to his third year now. "If you want to know what I would do in your age-"

"I am pretty aware of what it would be, thank you." Hiccup would cut him mid sentence again, not wishing to listen to any more of that.

"Don't you use that tone with your father!" Valka raised her voice.

Hiccup simply ignored his mom's hiss, and no other word was said after that.

That was Hiccup's routine, basically. Hidden from everyone's eyes, smart as he was, he could manage at least one hour of spare time before dinner and even two after it. That was how ignored he was. Enough so he could sneak into the forbidden forest and search for creatures.

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ was his project at third and then fourth year. So far, he had managed to befriend a centaur - one that has gotten as far enough to break his people's rule to don't befriend humans; found an egg of Occamy - which was surprising, due to the fact that such creature was native of North America; an injured Billywing and a strange duck-like creature with blue feathers and sparking gold eyes which he had absolutely no idea what its name was.

If not just the search for the creatures, Hiccup had grown an obsession for mapping the places he went. First, a detailed sketch of his common room. Then Ravenclaw Tower. Then he had to add an extension to his parchment when he decided to go further down the halls, corridors, and exploring new shortcuts. By the fourth year, he had not just Hogwarts grounds, but as well as its secret passages, the forbidden forest, the secret entrances.

The trickiest part was the Homonculous Charm. Trick and nearly disastrous (since he nearly set his whole work on fire), but as soon as he had it, every single living soul at Hogwarts appeared on his paper with neatly done calligraphy.

He'd find out much later that year that he wasn't the first one to do his map (which he so affectionately named the Labyrinth), but that was indeed the closest version, and most extensive in detail that any Hogwarts map has ever gotten.

Countless times Hiccup's eyes would follow the small name written _Jack Frost_ , usually surrounded by the names of other people that he actually knew, some of them villagers from Berk, for crying out loud. But sometimes he would find Jack alone in some strange places in random times, like at the Astronomy Tower, or wandering around the corridors on the higher floors. He hardly ever was predictable, but Hiccup tried not to focus on that too much. Stalking wasn't exactly his favourite hobby.

Getting beat up by his own cousin on the other hand wasn't exactly his idealistic sport either. Snotlout and Hiccup had their mutual dislike for one another _since birth_ in Valka's words, but even she could not predict how much that dislike would soon turn Hiccup into Snotlout's hex target. The boy had already attended Madam Pomfrey at least three times only in his fourth year, when the taller boy had turned his teeth three times larger than they actually were. The boy had tears in pain as the School Nurse took care of his wounds.

However, even that was turned into an advantage once Hiccup's creatures would create inexplicable superficial wounds on his skin. "What were you trying to do, boy, wake a dragon?!" The witch would scream horrified as Hiccup walked into the Hospital Wing with smoke creeping up the edge of his trousers.

"Snotlout," The boy would reply simply. Dragons were impossible to tame, but firecrabs, however…

Snotlout got a three day detention for presumably setting fire to Hiccup's robes. If only all of the excuses Hiccup blamed on Snotlout were actually lies. More than once he had found himself with a black eye. Lonely-scrawny-scaredy Hiccup who could barely stand up for himself, befriend a unicorn and perform advanced spells at the age of fourteen.

Nevertheless, not even that was distraction enough when fifth year came.

Nothing would ever be the same after that year.

"Are you excited son?" His father asked as he led Hiccup to the platform 9 3/4. This time, only the two of them.

No Valka to listen to Hiccup's whispers.

"As much as I can ever get, I think." Hiccup replied.

Their father and son relationship was… interesting, to say the least. No, they weren't happy. They weren't okay. And they wouldn't forgive anything any time soon. But they hid it all even so, because sadly, they were all the other had.

Stoick stared at his shoes. He did that a lot nowadays. He was still the gigantic man that lived up to his title of The Vast, but now he was bent, the dark marks beneath his eyes and the whole in his chest asked for their appearance. Stoick was now a tired man.

Hiccup had grown a bit that summer, but the hollow from his mother's death also took its price. Where there used to be a sarcastic, witty, lonely but welcoming boy made room for a closed guy, the careful looks turned into cold and menacing stares. He was still a very attractive boy, even though he tried not to recognise it. Nobody else did anyways.

"Hiccup, son…" Stoick began, his eyes wandering sideways to find the words. "I, eh…"

Hiccup looked at him for a while, and when their eyes met, he saw a glimpse of his childhood through his father's eyes. A glimpse, and then it was gone.

"Just make the most of your year." He said finally. Hiccup only nodded.

Stoick wanted to say some more to his son, some comforting words, but Hiccup already had turned on his heels, heading straight for the Hogwarts express, all the words he had to hear left behind in his dad's sadness.

Whether people would mock at Hiccup for being the typical nerd, his back bent and curious glances, it all stopped the moment he entered the train.

His posture was straight, along with his stare. His wondered yes now were as cold as ice, his awkwardness exchanged for indifference. His steps mostly, once stumbled and uncertain, now would not give a hint. They knew exactly were they were going.

"Oh look who it is?" He heard his cousin, Steven. "Our little Messcup," His joke was supposed to be hilarious.

Hiccup could ignore that. He did that his whole life anyways.

"Tell me, Hiccup, how heavy is that trunk of yours? I mean, those toothpicks for arms haven't fell yet, it must be quite light." A few laughs erupted from some of his peers. People did not really like Steven, but he was number one at Defence against the Dark Arts. If anything, they called him his childhood nickname Snotlout, but only behind his back.

Hiccup was walking forwards when he actually heard it.

"Shame your mommy won't be around to pick it up for you anymore."

Hiccup could hear the oohs and the cheering, claiming for a duel right there from the Slytherin students. Hiccup stopped dead on his tracks.

"I'll remember telling you that if your mom ever ends up missing." Hiccup said the words. "Let's see how funny it'll be then."

He actually said it. He actually responded to his cousin's bullying. And he did not stutter. But Snotlout liked playing the villain. He liked to seem heartless.

"Well, my mom is alive, safe and sound. Unlike yours. I mean, it's not like _mudbloods_ get to live too long now, do they?"

Nobody cheered for him. He knew he went too far. However, he liked the feeling. Preppy teenage boys can be stupid after all.

Perhaps less stupid when Hiccup's sly hand pulled out his wand, pointed it straight at his cousin's face and casted his spell.

" _Redactum Skullus!"_

Snotlout still had his hand half-way after his wand when Hiccup's hex hit in the face. A loud crack was heard, and after a few agonizing seconds, Snotlout's head was the size of a tennis ball.

Now to that people actually laughed.

" _What are you guys doing?! Attack him!"_ Snotlout yelled, but his shrank head left a minimalistic sound, as thin and ugly as a poorly played violin. Hiccup had already disappeared to his empty compartment.

Hiccup knew that the rumours would spread to every Hogwarts student before they even got out of the train. It has been a while since a Ravenclaw had stood up against a Slytherin. Especially when it was the abort of Gryffindor they were talking about.

Some people actually went as far as to peek into Hiccup's compartment, only to find the boy reading, buried in his books like he always was. He hated the attention, but what could he do about it anyways? It was done now, and personally, he thought Snotlout deserved it.

One time, his door actually slid open. A beautiful dark-skinned girl from the sixth year walked in, sheepishly, as if stepping on a mine-field. "Excuse me," she said, coughing. "You are Hiccup Haddock, right?" She did not wait for his answer. "It's professor Slughorn, he is inviting you for a tea in his compartment in ten minutes." She said very quickly, before turning on her heels as if to leave, before turning back to the boy. "And by the way, thank you for what you did to Snotlout." And just like that, she closed the doors, nearly running out of his view. The boy only shook his head, pondering whether he should warn that he was not going or simply ignoring the invitation. Hiccup only slumped back on his seat for the rest of the trip, ignoring any curious pair of eyes that tried to peek in through the curtains of his compartment.

But among all those people, the one he actually wished to see was exactly the one who never came. He didn't really expect Jack to appear to see him.

On the contrary of Hiccup, Jack had friends.

Only a couple wagons from there, Jack was trying to enjoy himself among his Gryffindor friends. Not that he didn't like them, nor that they did not like him. If anything, the girls were head over heels for him.

Jack had grown taller since last year, being nearly six-foot tall, his spiky white hair was now even messier than before, but strangely enough it was charming. It did go well with his pale skin and icy blue eyes.

It was no mystery why people called him Jack Frost.

But it was also not a secret that Hiccup had his identifier, the Messcup, the useless, Fishbone was the less harmful of them. And Jack was aware of the names. And he hated every single one of them. You could not tell, but secretly Jack would steal galnces from the freckled boy, when he was sure no one was looking, hoping that one day they'd be returned. He was indeed ashamed that he never got back to him after the Sorting, but that was five years ago. People mocked at Hiccup whenever they saw him, and even though he was shocked at first with such harsh words, he did not stop them. It is not like he did not have his own things that he would never share. But his eyes pictured Hiccup in such a beautiful way, much – and he meant _much -_ different than the way everyone else did.

So when the news came that the "Mistake of Ravenclaw" had jinxed the bully of Slytherin, every teenage in his compartment stared gaped open in shock.

"I think maybe he finally grew a pair." Samantha Kingston said, her feather-like blonde hair floating above her shoulders.

"Yeah, but now he's not just a weirdo, he's a freak." Joey Abbington, the tanned skin guy next to her agreed.

"Nah, he's just weird." Astrid Hofferson said, her usually uninterested blue eyes still not focusing on anything but her chipped nails. "What'd you think, Jack?"

Jack's eyes found their way to hers. The girl was the only soul to ever catch Jack staring at Hiccup "I don't know," he said, actually uncertain, but then he added "I don't care."

Astrid only smirked. "Bollocks."


	4. Foreboding

**Chapter Four: Foreboding**

There was a huge gathering in front of Hogwarts' entrance. The two winged boars stood proudly above the heads of the students as they crowded around the gates. Astrid's fingers found their way to Jack's forearm.

"What do you think is going on here?" She whispered.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it can't be good." He replied. The group stopped as they approached the crowd.

Way too slowly, they were able to see their potions master holding a long roll of parchment, reading out loud the names of the students as they were checked in to the gates.

The confusion was written on Jack's face as he walked up to Professor Slughorn – Who only earlier had just invited Jack to his traditional tea gathering.

"Professor, what is all of this for?"

The plump man turned to him with the intrigued look he always wore whenever he had to focus too much on something. Jack seriously considered if he wasn't too old already to be lessoning.

"Oh, Jack, mah' boy, good to see ya'", the man said above his slightly twisted glasses. "Alright, name?" He asked. Jack only furred his eyebrows.

"But Professor, you've known me for five years now." Jack answered.

"There are no exceptions, Jack. Name." The man said, suddenly harsh, making Jack gulp in caution.

"Jackson Overland." He only had time to say the words before his trunk was pulled off from his hand, gravitating towards another wizard. "Hey!" He gasped before his trunk was opened, a strange glow set into it from the wizard's wand, and then shut back again, floating to the ground.

"This one's clean, next?" The wizard said as Jack retrieved his belongings.

"What was that-?!" He had no time to spill his doubts before Astrid grabbed him by his left shoulder, pulling him forwards.

"He's an auror, Jack." She said skittishly, fighting the urge to look over her shoulders, her trunk also magically scanned before they resumed their way up to the Castle. Jack's eyes shook up in realization of what aurors at Hogwarts meant.

He gulped, a shiver running down his spine as the lights of the school illuminated the dark sky above them.

#

The Great Hall was buzzing with all the chit chats from the students, all of them repeatedly mumbling, screaming and laughing about the awesomeness of their holidays. And like a thread wire, the subject quite often was brought back to, well, Hiccup. Some people would laugh at the story of how Snotlout's head had a shrinking hex. No one could prove that much since the hex was quickly ended, but that did not mean that someone would forget that any time soon. Good stories did not happen everyday, unfortunately.

But even though Jack Overland was laughing at all of it with the Gryffindor table, his eyes simply could not help but wonder to the Ravenclaw's table direction. Basically, everyone's eyes were.

He could only see the mess of auburn hair and the bluish shades of the Ravenclaw robes, but it was still _his_ Hiccup. And he would be lying if he said he wasn't dying on the inside to talk to the boy.

There was this warm feeling crossing through the Great Hall, the one that required silence when Professor Minerva stood up from her seat, placing herself behind the owl-like stage. Her hands rose to the hall as everyone stopped talking, the chats dying progressively so all the attention was on the front of the Great Hall.

The routine was well known, the announcements and any welcoming speech. Hiccup had his eyes stuck on the cup of pumpkin juice on his hands when Professor McGonagall's words took another route, though.

"As you all may have perceived, each and every single one of you had to be searched on your way into the Castle." Everyone's attention was on her as she started. "And you have the right to know why."

Jack's eyes stopped wandering over to the Ravenclaw table so they could finally meet the Headmistress.

"Many years ago, when the wizarding world was still undercover, threatened of war against the muggle kind, many young witches and wizards were unable to develop their magical skills due to the risk of disclosure. As some of you might have studied, not all of those wizards reached our castle's grounds. To repel a child's magic, as many muggles have attempted in the past," A shiver ran through Jack's neck for these words, "only transformed them into monstrous creatures. Except for one."

Sometimes it sounded like the speech was made only to bring shivers to the students, as if to tell them that their every move was a risk, or as if they were stepping on mining fields. And that is exactly how it felt, down to every teenager on that Great Hall.

Jack's eyes still wandered to the Ravenclaw table, and finally saw that Hiccup had turned his face to the Headmistress, his usually pinked cheeks and nose visible, but he seemed almost bored through that terrifying speech.

"Which is why I beg you to be careful," Everyone could tell professor Minerva was about to finish it as her words led to that finale feeling. "Just something for you to consider. As in a matter of security, the Minister for Magic has incorporated a few changes into our system. Even though nothing is supposed to upset our regular schedule, please welcome our High Inquisitor, Mister Percy Ignatius Weasley."

A red-haired man, around his forties, stood up proudly from his chair, and a small round of uncertain applauses emerged from the Great Hall.

"Mister Weasley is here in lieu of the Minister's service, in order to prevent any possible threat to our security system. I am sure he will be attending to every valuable doubt concerning the student's safety," Professor McGonagall's eyes wandered back to Percy with a warning look, and everyone in the Hall noticed how uncomfortable he got. "Now off to bed, carry on."

As if on cue, all of the students around the four tables rose up to their feet, the chats now in a darker tone than ever before.

"What y'all think that was supposed to mean?" Jack heard one of his friends ask. "The Aurors, this bloody speech…?" He looked at him for a moment, already familiarized with Aster's thick accent.

Jack didn't know all that well what it meant, but the High Inquisitor, the Aurors, the search on their trunks could only mean no good.

But it all seemed irrelevant once the Ravenclaws passed before them one last time, getting ahead of the Gryffindors to climb the marble staircase to their common room. Jack had one last glimpse of Hiccup, right when he got to the top of the stairs, and turned his head once to look down.

Their eyes met for a moment that seemed to stretch into a thousand, blue locked on green, the words that ran through their heads crossed this invisible thread to each other. Then the moment was gone, and Jack kept staring at the vanishing mass of students.


	5. Metamorphose

**Chapter Five: Metamorphose**

Jack woke up in the morning with the sun light peeking through the Gryffindor's red and gold dormitory. His eyelids pulled against each other, and he was about to fall back asleep when a book smashed hard against the back of his head.

"Oi'!" He yelled, rubbing the aching area. Aster was standing in front of his bed, already dressed up in Hogwarts vests, looking down at Jack with a smirk.

"Rise and shine, Ma'e." Aster said, his accent stronger as ever. "There's a mandatory note on our news board, everyone has to check it out."

Not a second later, he left, leaving behind a confused Jackson. The pale boy only stripped himself off his covers, staring at his skinny shirtless frame on the mirror near his bed. He wasn't all that bad, he thought. He had long legs and a very pale torso, which made him look even skinnier than what he actually was. He put on his vests quickly, tied up the red and yellow tie around his neck and made his way down to Gryffindor's common room.

Most, if not all of the Gryffindor students were gathered around the news board. He could hear their voices, but not the words. With a sinking feeling down his stomach, Jack made his way through the people, heading over the board with an unpleased look, and after a short search he found the tiny paper glued to it. A moving picture displayed the castle from distance, the lights on the towers lighting the night, and a deep dark cloud formed above, flying straight past the castle and disappearing in the forest.

 _The Daily Prophet:_

 _DEMENTORS HOVERING HOGWARTS GROUNDS_

 _'_ _Our students are absolutely safe' states head of Regulation of Magical Education Department._

Right next to it was a handwritten note addressed to the students.

 _From now on, no student shall be outside de castle after sunset. Each and every expedition to Hogwarts' grounds must have a teacher's permit – Safe for Hogsmead trips, Quidditch matches and classes of care of magical creatures._

Jack took that in slowly, taking deep breaths as he realised the panic gathering in the students surrounding him. There were no Dementors working for wizards in over twenty years, and if they had been just spotted, then the Ministry had now hundreds of magical families to calm down.

In a minute, he understood why there was a High Inquisitor in Hogwarts.

#

When Hiccup woke up, though, with a splitting headache as he put on Hogwarts' vests, he made sure to avoid looking in the mirrors. He threw his backpack over his shoulders, nearly knocking himself to the side – he was still a fishbone after all. All eyes were on the notice board as he crossed the common room, and he made his way through the bodies gathered in front of the notice.

Hiccup knew very well what a Dementor was. The boy just shook his head, ignoring the elbows of another student trying to look at the notice.

It was on his way downstairs that he ended up seeing the last person he wanted to. The mess of snow white hair over the young wizard's head walking down the corridors that made Hiccup stop dead on his tracks. He turned his feet, turning in a U, looking everywhere else when he notice for a split second that the other boy's eyes locked on him. _Too late_ , Hiccup thought, but he kept on walking away, then sprinting away.

#

Jack couldn't help but gash at the sight of Hiccup. All these years, and he still had his eyes set on the auburn haired boy. For some reason, he could not move on, Jack guessed even if life depended on it. Five years trying, first innocently, trying to act like nothing ever happened, as if he had never in his life talked to the other boy, but the feeling never faded. Much on the contrary, it got stronger.

Stronger to the point that every girl Jack dared to imagine kissing turned into Hiccup. It was scary, but then pointless to even try fighting.

But that was his Fifth year. And there was still something Jack had not tried.

None of his friends were looking at him, about to turn on the small corridor which would give him a five second window to go unnoticed. He watched as Hiccup's legs sprinted away down that corridor. Now or never, he thought.

And so he did, finding himself free from his friends, the white haired boy dashed where Hiccup had ran off. Looking over his shoulders, he made sure his friends weren't after him – he was on his luck. Speeding up, crossing through the people ahead of him, he managed to peek the shade of the reddish hair turning on another corridor. Jack smirked. _Today is the day_ , he thought. If only Hiccup wasn't as quick as a bloody rabbit, it seemed. Because as soon as he turned where Hiccup had, he faced an empty corridor.

#

Targeted. That is how Hiccup felt all day throughout his lessons. Wherever he went, he'd hear the voices, avoid the stares and dodge the walls. Not that it was any news to him, if anything, he was used to it. But once it was because he was the abort of Gryffindor, now it was for a much different reason not even he could properly understand. What was so interesting about fighting back a bully?

The hardest part, though, he had to admit, was sharing potions class with Jack. Not that they would sit next to each other, but considering that he hardly ever matched his classes with the other boy, it now seemed like nearly every class they seemed to have together. The sad part was… Jack was never alone. All the time, the boy would be in company of one of his _many_ friends or by a cheeky girl making a hundred and one provocative poses to get his attention. _Pathetic_ , Hiccup thought.

The things girls did to get boys' attention… And unknowing that himself, there was Hiccup, unconsciously biting his lower lip and straightening his back on his seat in close attention to how he looked. That wasn't entirely meant for Jack, though, but he was starting to acknowledge the new rebellious reputation that he heard surrounding him.

Truth be told, the broody looks, the shaggy hair and careless style was setting Hiccup up for a rebellious type. But most of it was because of his stare. He was no longer quiet for being shy. He was quiet because there was simply nothing to be said. At any mirror he looked, he seemed off himself.

Even his name was not matching anymore. Not that anybody did that, by if his name was ever to be called, _Hiccup_ , it felt like calling another person, or perhaps the ghost of a person, long gone.

#

Every day ended with a checking mark. Curfew was not only mandatory, but each student had to mark his presence with a tap of his wand on a parchment at every common room. _Great…_ Both Hiccup and Jack thought at the same time. Secretly, they both wished they could escape their common rooms for only a little while.

But while Hiccup was focused on leaving, Jack was focused on chasing. He was determined to talk to the auburn haired boy. He heard every single rumour, and he'd be damned if he didn't ask for some himself. But he couldn't believe any, like the one saying Hiccup was devoting to the Dark Arts, or that he would become a new school psycho. Nonsense, Jack thought, but still, despite all that, he was determined to talk to the boy.

"Hey, Jack!" Augustus Flinch, from Gryffindor called the white haired in the corridors one day. "Signing up for the Quidditch team again this year? We could use you." Flinch had this excited tone on his voice, and he sang the words in his Irish accent.

"I think so," Jack muttered, a bit off by his previous thoughts on Hiccup. "Yeah, probably."

"Wicked!" Flinch sang again, smiling. "Trials begin next week!"

"Alright," Jack replied. To be perfectly honest, Jack didn't care all that much about Quidditch. I mean, he made the team on his third and fourth year, and he was good at being a chaser, but he could think of other things he'd like to do better. On that Friday morning, things seemed to work out wonderfully. For the first time in years, Jack found himself sitting apart from any of his friends. Astrid and Aster were sitting together on Defence Against the Dark Arts, while that other annoying girl, Stephany Bones, who tried way too hard to get his attention showing Jack her cleavage, was out for a different class. _That girl couldn't take a hint! I don't even know her house!_ Jack smiled to himself at the thought of how the poor girl needed to find a straight boyfriend. Not that he was her boyfriend, but again, he wasn't straight.

Jack sat on an empty table, being left out with no partners. And he was guiltily relieved for it. People could be tiring. But then, think about that one time when something happens just as you wished. Just once in a lifetime, and the satisfying feeling that comes with it.

That is how it felt for Jack when the last student came in, stopped dead in his tracks for a minute, looking for any empty seat, right before slipping right next to Jack. There was Hiccup, looking as tired and annoyed as ever.

Jack's joy lasted nothing, since the boy had barely sat down and he noticed how much the bags under his eyes were shadowing his features, or how the energy surrounding him seemed cold and depressing. His eyes were glassy, and he stared to his books as if he was one moment away from setting them on fire.

Whatever happened to that boy, Jack could not tell.

"Glad to see everyone is already on their seats." The dark skinned professor standing right in front of them announced. Quim Shacklebolt, former Minister for Magic and new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. "For fifth graders like yourselves, passing the O.W.L.s exams are everything. I have the feeling that simply ignoring the true importance of this lesson would be a serious mistake from every single one of you." And suddenly everyone understood Quim's background. The battle for Hogwarts at the second wizarding War. And also too suddenly, this entire class got too interesting. "But it would be my mistake to simply bore you right from the start, so, everybody, save your books and stay with your partners."

And not too seconds later, all the desks on the class floated off until they cushioned against the windows.

"Who here has a way with stunning charms?" A sly looking girl at the front of the class raised her hand. "Can you give me the incantation?"

" _Stupefy,_ " The girl answered promptly.

"Correct, now, stunning charms is by far the most useful tool you have on a duel. Easy, quick and powerful, but also very tricky for non-initiated. So, for today's lesson, you guys will have to practice it against your partners. By the end of the class, the best two may duel using only this one spell and defensive shields charms."

Everyone stared at their teacher, puzzled.

"Off you go. You may start!"

Small duos were worthlessly flicking their wands, to every possible direction, trying to make the spell work – none of them functioning.

"So… I guess that makes two of us, then?" Jack asked Hiccup, in a weak attempt to make a conversation. Perhaps communication would fit better.

"You cast it. I'm ready." Was all Hiccup said, and Jack raised his brows at the confidence.

"Okay then… you asked." Jack said. He flipped his wand and…

Nothing happened.

Hiccup just stood there, his wand ready on his hand, waiting for the charm, ready to cast it away if it hit. But he kept on waiting as Jack tried to get the way of the spell.

"You must _feel_ it, mister Overland." Professor Shacklebolt's voice made its way to the white haired boy. "Feel the attack coming at your enemy."

"He's not my enemy." Jack suddenly said, and Hiccup raised his own eyebrows in surprise.

"This is practice, you two are obviously not fighting for real. But again, if you were, I have the feeling mister Haddock would have already liquidated you a long time ago."

To that, a few students smirked, including Hiccup. His very first smirk in a long time. _The little shit_ , Jack thought. Even though seeing any alteration in Hiccup's expression was better than his usual frown, the reason why he was smirking was enough to tick him off.

In a moment, Jack swung his wand.

" _Stupefy!_ " The bolt of red light flew from his window, all the way to the edge of Hiccup's wand, where it was blocked by his defensive spell.

"Great job, Overland! And great defence there, Haddock." Quim saluted. Jack had to acknowledge the disappointment of seeing his charm so easily defeated by Hiccup's defence. "Now, I want to see you trying mister…"

Quim had no time to finish his sentence. In a fluid motion, Hiccup's wand swung around over his head, no sound emitted as the boy silently casted his charm straight into Jack, right on the boy's head. The impact echoed through the room with a loud snap as the boy was thrown off the floor, flying several feet backwards until he landed on his back, efficiently stunned.

The silence fell on the room as everyone stared at the scene. Hiccup only stared back, nearly daring for comments, before lowering his wand. The Professor only made an intrigued look of confused acceptance before stepping away, commanding the others to go back to their work. Enough time for jack to get slowly back on a sitting position.

"Need any help?" Hiccup walked to him, extending his arm to him. Jack still had his own hand surrounding his neck, making sure no bone was broken before rising, ignoring the hand stretched to him.

"No need to aim in the face, mate!" Jack hissed, now turning his head sideways before going back to his original position.

"Sorry about that." Hiccup replied.

 _You need to feel it_ – the words repeated on his mind. Did Hiccup really want to jinx Jack that badly?

By now, most of the class managed to, at least, complete the charm, even if mostly missing their targets for feet of distance. Soon enough, the two left competitors were Hiccup and another boy from Gryffindor who he did not know.

"May the last duel commence!" Quim announced proudly.

Hiccup raised his wand to his head's level, then turned around, five steps back, and then back to facing his opponent.

"One… two… three."

" _Stupefy!_ " The Gryffindor boy's charm exploded to Hiccup's direction, but the spells were quickly repelled by Hiccup's wand, as if sucked by the tip.

With a quick motion, Hiccup again spoke no words when his hand swung through the air, the warm energy flowing on his fingers as the spell erupted to his wand, and three swift lightning bolts darted to his opponent. The first one shattering his new formed shield, the second one hitting him on his chest, and the last one punching to his head, knocking him unconscious.

Everyone stared in awe at the scene. There was a five-second silence, and then the bell rang, freeing them off to their next class.


	6. Meeting

**Chapter Six: Meeting**

 _"_ _Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time. You must prune yours, to keep it healthy… Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest... And in your family, so in the world... we shall cut away the cancer that infects us until only those of the true blood remain..."_ Whispered the wizard to himself, facing the golden flames of the Snake-like stake. Those words echoed in his mind for years since the rise of the Dark Lord, and now he knew those words were meant to be used again. Rabastan Lestrange turned himself to the wizards surrounding him.

"We hate them because they exist!" He yelled in his black pointy robes. Around him, thirty similarly dressed men stood, listening to his words as the snake crafted in wood burned up in flames. "We do not need a reason to hate them – we hate them because they breathe."

The wizards yelled in approval. Their wands had luminous flashes glowing out to the dark field they all stood in.

"Every magical blood that runs in mudblods is wasted, mixed with the blood of traitors ancestors who wanted us terminated. Extinguished!" The surrounding wizards screamed in approval. The fire burned brighter.

"The Obscurial is waiting for us. _He_ is our leader, don't forget. I have incoming news of squibbed mudbloods who cast their magic on our children of pure blood." Lestrange resumed, his grey skin covered behind the black mask he wore. "And each time, new mudbloods are being born and… _invited_ into our world." The worlds he spoke felt so meaningless to him, as if he was deciding matching colours. "Have we found our lost child yet?"

A small wizard with bony fingers shook his head. "He is in the castle, Lestrange. The Obscurial has been there for long enough." He spoke. "Perhaps it's time to let it out."

"The time is coming, gentlemen." Lestrange spoke again. "May the Obscurial know we are ready."

The fire burned even more, enough for the sparks to explode from the crafted snake, dancing flames and treason.

#

As Hiccup took off his vests for that night, he couldn't help but stare at his skinny frame on the mirror. He hated everything he saw, so as soon as he could, he threw his pyjamas over his head. Throughout the entire day, if he wasn't being targeted before, he was now being downright avoided. It might have amused him seeing how people stumbled upon their feet whenever they saw him, or dodged him on the halls. He was contagious.

 _Whatever_ , he thought. Just another year at Hogwarts. As he tucked himself in bed, he made sure to close the dark blue curtains to the outside of his bed, leaving the other side of the window frame uncovered. It was like his private window, where he could look up to and just let himself exist every night.

But not that night.

As soon as he heard the last boy on his room deepening his breathing, Hiccup gingerly paced out of bed, crouching to his trunk, opening it silently and grabbing the Labyrinth. He took a quick look at it, recording the pathways of the castle corridors.

Ever so slowly, he opened the window next to him. It would be cold in the room, but Hiccup made sure to cast a _calefactorius_ spell to solve this problem. Shutting the window, the boy was curved against the outside of the tower, taking one final moment to admire the horizon line before he jumped.

His body fell through the air, descending on a straight line in the mid of the night, falling and falling until he casted his spell, moments before he reached the ground:

" _Aresto momentum!"_ And suddenly, his body turned weightless, inches before the impact, and for a brief moment his body kept hanging over the floor, before collapsing on the grass.

Hiccup immediately jumped to his feet, dusting his vests of the dead leaves and looking all around him before twirling his wand around himself. The Disillusionment Charm crossed his body like cold water pouring on the shower, turning his body as the same texture as the image behind him, and Hiccup had the strange feeling he was a human chameleon.

And then he took off running.

At night, the castle had a different feeling to it. More dangerous, more daring. He headed straight back to the entrance hall, making sure to keep any traces of his presence hidden. His steps were counted, the noise being muffled by his careful steps.

It didn't take long and Hiccup started climbing through the main stairs of the castle, his eyes quickly adapting to the darkness. Besides him, all the portrayed wizards and witches were asleep in their paintings. Hiccup looked at them and envied it – he would not feel the urge to sleep until it was four in the morning.

Eventually, he reached the bottom of the astronomy tower. For the first time on his expedition, he had to light his wand. " _Lumus!_ " Hiccup whispered, and then he was immersed on the white light. Taking another look at the Labyrinth, he made sure that he wasn't in the wrong place. Next to him, there was another roll of spiralling stairs, and he reached the black gates of the tower. One flick of his wand, and the gates opened, quietly.

That is when Hiccup turned his wand back to himself, and hitting the top of his head, he undid the spell that kept him invisible. Seemingly, he was alone at the tower. The antechamber before the observation deck seemed almost like a library, stacks of books pilled in the corners, tables with planetary globes and even the roof seemed stylised to resemble the night sky, with shinning stars and planets. A small set of stairs was on his right, and they led him to the observation floors.

Hiccup pulled the Labyrinth from his vests, opening it one last time and quickly finding his name on the astronomy tower.

And just like he planned, he wasn't alone.

#

The white haired boy could stare at the night view for hours. He thought about the rumours that it had been different since the Battle of Hogwarts years ago, but he could never be sure. Some people said that a whole tower had been missing, but that didn't seem to be the case. It was still beautiful.

Jack loved this place at night. It was like if he could hear the very breathing of the castle, the winds through the forbidden forest, or his own heartbeat. That left him alone with his thoughts. Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he jumped from were he was, sitting at the edge of the tower's observation deck.

He thought about Hiccup and the rumours. He didn't believe in any. Like, there was just no way the auburn haired boy would have joined the Dark Arts. There was a much deeper meaning that no one would be able to understand.

Suddenly, the noise behind him made Jack jump to his feet.

Someone had found him. He _was_ in trouble.

"Who's there?" Jack had no control over his voice as it sounded into the darkness. Mentally, he slapped himself, over and over for his impulse.

The small figure crept out of the shadows, and Jack's heart skipped a beat. Hiccup was standing in front of him, wand cast out on his hand, the illuminating spell erupting out and bathing them into light.

"Sorry I scared you." Hiccup said. "I didn't know there was someone else in here." Hiccup sounded serious, but it was a lie. "I'm just going…"

"No, wait!" Jack hissed, again trying to take over his impulse, "i-it's okay, you can stay if you want."

Jack tried to seem casual, but perhaps he was trying a bit too much, for the way he bit his lips and nodded repeatedly as he spoke.

Hiccup only gave him a lopsided smile. "Okay."

Jack nodded again, and both boys sat down on the edge.

"I'm sorry for earlier, by the way." Hiccup broke the awkward silence that formed.

"It's okay, nothing that Madame Pomfrey couldn't take care of."

Hiccup let out a muffled chuckle. "Sorry anyways, I didn't mean to hit you in the head…"

"How did you do that?" Jack abruptly asked.

"…do what?"

"Stunned me like that." He replied. "And not just me, but what you did to Agnus McCollen too."

Hiccup thought for a moment. "Shacklebolt said we had to feel it, right?"

"Any hard feelings?" Jack asked, again trying to make it sound casual. Hiccup only shook his head.

"Nope." He said. "At least not about you."

Jack chuckled. "Well that's good to know. I guess I wouldn't want to be in your list." Jack tried joking, awkwardly, before silence fell between them again.

Hiccup pondered on those words before he looked straight into Jack's eyes, which were staring at the castle's towers.

"Are you afraid of me?" Hiccup asked. Jack turned back at him, this time seemingly puzzled.

"No." He answered. "I am intrigued, actually."

"About what?"

"…How have you been lately?" Jack said.

And to that question, Hiccup finally felt surprised. Jackson Overland, who hadn't spoken to him in years, talking to him like normal people would. It was heart-warming, something Hiccup hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Okay, all things considered." Hiccup answered.

"What kind of things?" Jack asked, moving closer to the other boy.

"Just some things." Hiccup had an ending tone to his voice, and Jack felt safer not to push it.

"We haven't talked in a while." Jackson stated. "I still remember that day."

"You mean the last time someone actually spoke to me nicely?" Hiccup said, but there was an underlining tone that suggested playfulness. Jack smiled, but it didn't feel honest. He actually felt bad for Hiccup's statement.

"Come on, I'm pretty sure you made some friends in Ravenclaw." Jack said.

"Not really, no." Hiccup said. "I'm surprised you actually know which house I am, to be honest."

Jack made a stunned face for the second time that day. "Wait, no one?"

Hiccup shook his head. "If you don't count the teachers, that is. They all love me." Jack chuckled, and Hiccup smiled to it. "But no, I've got no one."

"Well, I can be your friend." Jack stated, suddenly seeming excited about it. Hiccup only gave him a weird look. "I mean, I know we didn't really stay friends after the first year, but…"

"Okay, you can stop right there before I have to stun you again." Hiccup's harsh voice interrupted Jack's words. "I mean, I get it, you had your new friends in you new house and everything – which is perfectly fine – but you could've at least said something, like 'hi', I don't know."

Staring at the green eyes, and the shaky breath coming out of the angry boy, Jack finally understood how much Hiccup felt. Felt enough to stun him right across the face. Judge him, but Jack felt that instant urge to hex him, hurt him back to dismiss the shock of Hiccup's words, but at the same time, Hiccup was angry. And Jack understood that.

Hiccup turned his looks from Jack and went back to staring the view. Jack moved a bit closer, so their shoulders were only a few inches apart.

"I'm here now." Jack said, and Hiccup looked back at him. Not with an angry stare, but if anything, he just seemed sad. "And if it's not too late, then can we be friends again?"

Hiccup took a deep breath. Jack wanted to be friends, which is already more than he could ask for. Still, he had to be sassy.

"Not going to laugh at my name again, are you?" He said, bringing back the memory from five years ago. Jack laughed.

"Only if you promise not to jinx me in the face." He replied. Hiccup smiled, the scowl on his eyebrows finally disappearing, and for the first time, Jack actually got to see through the anger, and he could not help but think the other boy was beautiful.

"It's a deal." Hiccup said, offering his hand, which Jack stared for a moment before taking it. They shook hands, and then just looked at each other for a moment, before Jack shook his head, laughing.

"I should probably go, before someone realises I'm gone." Said Jack, getting to his feet, which Hiccup realised were bare. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked, hopeful. Hiccup nodded.

"Sure." He said. "We have a few classes together." Hiccup mentioned.

Jack smiled. "Brilliant. I'll see you there, then." With a final grin, he walked away, leaving Hiccup alone with his thoughts.


	7. Position

**Chapter Seven: Position**

"… _Head of Educational Standards Department Missing, Minister for Magic Eames Shaw asks for caution…_ "

" _Another person missing?_ "

" _It seems so…_ "

"Jack!" Astrid called him louder from across the table on the Great Hall. Jack had been staring at the Ravenclaw table ever since they sat down for breakfast, but had not seen Hiccup yet.

"What's up with the snow-head today?" Said Aster, sipping on his pumpkin juice. "Been off all day."

"I'm just tired." Jack said, his eyes still glued to the other table.

"By tired I'm assuming you're crushing on Elena Gilbert." Said Astrid, making them all laugh. Elena Gilbert was from fifth year, she had so many acne on a square inch of her skin as the Moon has craters on all of its surface. "I mean, she is not that bad…" Astrid was clearly joking, making Aster choke on his juice.

"Har-har, bloody har." Jack said, looking down at his plate of waffles and syrup. He wasn't all that hungry.

"Lookin' pretty odd, mate." Aster kept pointing at him with a spoon. "Sure you don't wanna skip a class?"

" _Aster!_ " Hissed Astrid, "You can't skip classes at Hogwarts."

"Well, perhaps just headin' for Madam Pomfrey…" Aster got quiet after a particularly painful kick hit his leg beneath the table.

When the bell rang, Jack was the first one to jump to his feet, the excitement before seeing Hiccup taking the best of him, and he sprinted out of the Great Hall, leaving Aster and Astrid behind him.

"What's wrong with him?" Asked Aster. Astrid only shrugged.

Jack was sprinting through the hallways, dodging the people that showed up in front of him, his head always kept up. Hiccup on his mind all the way. As he ran, he eventually got the attention of the group. _The Girls in the short skirts_ , as he always thought about them. He was used to their harassment, the blowing kisses and the way they would sing song his name. _Ja~ack_ as if the words were flying through the air.

"Why the hurry?" One of them said.

"Stay a little bit."

"Just give us a minute!"

"Get that skinny ass over here!" They all giggled.

Here is the thing: most fifteen year old boys would love this attention. Most of them would easily envy Jack for his looks, or jinx the odds for giving him this advantage in the girl's world.

Jack would hate it.

If anything, he felt violated, almost. No one bothered to ask what Jack wanted. To be left alone, that is what he wanted. Especially when he would walk close enough to those girls, avoiding them near the walls, still enough range for their sly hands to… SLAP!

The burning feeling on his butt did not make him as angry as it made him embarrassed. The girls giggled even louder, waving their fingers maliciously at him. One of them was tall and skinny, the black hair falling in waves over her shoulder. She only smiled at Jack, chewing on her gun as she blinked deviously.

#

As soon as Hiccup woke up that morning, he felt something curious. This immense and contagious warm feeling in his chest. It would put on a smile on his face for the first time in a long time.

"Good morning!" He actually said to the first boy that he saw as he left the common room. Said boy only stared at his silhouette as Hiccup sprinted out the entrance.

"Whatever happened to Haddock?" The boy next to him whispered.

Hiccup knew very well what happened. The urge to see Jack happened. The idea that perhaps not everything was meant to go downhill this year. That was more than he could ever ask for.

He didn't get far.

"Hiccup Haddock?" A small voice rose up to him as soon as he reached the main staircase. A fifth year girl from Ravenclaw with dashing dark hair called him, raising her hand with a paper note. "Professor McGonagall wants to see you in her office."

Oh her chest, Hiccup recognised the prefect badge.

"Oh, come on, right now?" Hiccup asked, grunting.

"Yes, now." The girl simply replied. "She asked me to take you there.

With a final grunt, Hiccup let the girl scout him back upstairs.

#

Jack kept on waiting at the bottom of the grand Staircase. Waiting for Hiccup. People would see him. Then wave at him. Some would even smile. He kept waiting. Hopeful.

Until the bell rang. And waiting became a waste, so he gruntingly went to his first class. Alone.

#

"Here we are." The girl said. " _Twisted and Turned,_ " she sang, and not a minute later, the eagle statue in front of them turned around itself, rising to a spiral staircase.

"Go on." She nearly commanded. "She is waiting for you."

Hiccup gulped before walking forwards, the frown back on his face. He did not take two steps upstairs before they began to lift him up by themselves.

He nocked at the wooden door, unsure.

"Come in." He heard, and then the door swung open.

The boy took in the surroundings of the Headmistress's office. Frames after frames of past Headmistresss surrounded the room, covering the walls. Planetary globes, piles of books and a thousand artefacts Hiccup couldn't name. And after the desk, Professor McGonagall looked at him, her eyes alert behind the glasses.

"You asked to call me, Headmistress?" Hiccup spoke.

"Mister Haddock, yes, I have." McGonagall spoke. "Please, have a seat."

Hiccup sat down on the wooden chair in front of the Professor. His looks went from the books ahead of him, to the letter she was writing, then to the frame of Professor Dumbledore on his left. The right arm of the Headmistress.

"Mister Haddock, I have some questions concerning you that I think we might need to discuss."

"Sure." The boy replied. "About what?"

"I've been informed by some students that there is a growing concern about their security around you." The Professor resumed, scrambling the papers on her desk. "Just yesterday I've received a letter from the family of a student, after your duel in class landed him in the Hospital wing…"

"If Agnus McCollen ain't that good with his defensive charms it's not really my fault, Headmistress." Hiccup said before he could get a hold of his voice. "It was a fair duel, in Shacklebolt's class. Perhaps setting unprepared scholars to duel should be one of the teacher's concerns, if I can make a complaint."

"I'm pretty aware of the nature of Quim's classes, mister Haddock." She said, even. "If I still remember, we've been together during the Hogwarts' Battle, I'm sure you are in pretty good hands."

"Brilliant." Hiccup said. "So, what's the actual concern?"

"I've been hearing the rumours, mister Haddock." She said, squinting her lips. "Students are getting afraid. I'd like you to know that even though I do not support the use of force in bullying, a squinting hex would be very appropriate for a few bullies."

Hiccup's eyes darted up. The Professor stared at him with an amused smirk.

"I only want you to understand that whatever you are going through right now, you have a choice." She said, leaning forward. "There are people here that can support you through whatever it is."

"What do you mean?"

"These are dark times, Haddock." She said. "People are starting to get afraid. Have you read the Daily Prophet lately? As long as that bloody Skeeter isn't writing in it… The smallest things are setting everyone uneasy."

"So I'm setting people off uneasy?" Hiccup asked, a hint of irony on his voice. "That's interesting. Perhaps I should befriend someone, and then things would go truly wild."

"Oh, for sure they would." She agreed, leaning back on her chair, now staring at Dumbledore's frame through her round glasses. She pouted her lips. "People are disappearing, Ministry officials are under arrest and Muggles are getting each time more aware of the situation. You can trust no one these days."

An awkward silence fell between student and Headmistress. Minerva McGonagall studied Hiccup carefully with her tired green eyes.

"But there is one thing I need to ask you before I let you resume your classes: which side are you on?"

Hiccup cocked his eyebrows, feeling the unworthy energy rising in the entire castle.

"Considering I got nothing to lose… My own." He said. "Can I go now?"

The Headmistress stared at him, nodding in both defeat _and_ approval. She was proud. Hiccup got back to his feet, already turning and ready to leave when McGonagall called him again.

"Mister Haddock." The Headmistress was looking right through him. "Trust no one." She said.

Hiccup nodded one more time, smirking before turning on his heels and shutting the door behind him.

#

"Open your books at page 137." Professor Binns spoke, his ghost unknowingly floating behind the desk in front of the class. Jack was, once again, alone at this class. Astrid and Aster were two rolls in front of him, and the place next to him was empty.

As the professor began his lecture, Jack sank his head on his elbow, furrowing. _Why wasn't Hiccup there?_ He thought.

That was when the doors of the classroom opened, and everyone stared up at the incomer.

"Late, Mister Haddock." Professor Binns announced.

Hiccup stayed quiet as he walked past the desks until his eyes met Jacks all the way to the back of the room.

"Where were you?!" Jack hissed as Hiccup took the seat next to him.

"Sorry, long story." Hiccup replied. Two rolls ahead of them, Astrid and Aster turned their heads back, their eyes fix on the two boys.

"Well, it better be more interesting that _this_ story," The white haired boy gestured to the lecture ahead of them.

"It probably is," Hiccup said. "Professor McGonagall wanted to see me." Jack's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

"What? Why?!"

Hiccup only looked at him, biting his lips in defeat, the explanation visible on his expression.

"You were in trouble." Jack asked, which Hiccup nodded, a half smile forming on his lips. "Why?"

"The duel yesterday?" Jack nodded. "McCollen was sent to the Hospital Wing, and since the Head of Educational Standards has disappeared, his parents got scared. They sent a letter to McGonagall last night."

"Oh, God…" Jack said.

"So, apparently I am the new school terrorist, and I'm targeting Astrid next if she won't stop looking at us," Hiccup smirked at Astrid, caught off guard when she realised that Hiccup had seen her. She quickly turned back to her desk.

What Hiccup did not notice was that Jack was looking at him, a small smile pulling on his lips as he admired the boy next to him. As far as he could tell, Hiccup was impossibly mysterious and clever. And damn, did Jack like it.


	8. Bond

**Chapter Eight: Bond**

Jack spent the day with Hiccup. Throughout classes, the two boys would be as close as possible. Surprising for Hiccup, he assumed Jack would prefer to spend at least a few classes with his other friends, but instead, he kept near him at every possible moment until Dinner, when they had to part to their respective tables.

Such change of friends didn't go indifferent to Astrid.

"What's up with the Fishbone?" She whispered to Aster.

"Who?" He asked.

"That twig from Ravenclaw that Jack won't get away from, what's up with him?" She hissed.

"I dunno," He said. "Why are you so bothered anyways?"

"It's just weird, Jack went off all suddenly and just now started to hang out with him." She frowned at the two boys ahead of her, the way Jack would start taking to Hiccup a bit too close for her taste.

"Jealous much?" Aster smirked. Astrid's elbow hit him up his ribcage, earning a moan of pain from the taller boy.

"I just want to know what is going on." She said with finality.

"Just wait for dinner time." Aster said. "He will have to sit with us then."

Astrid huffed. Jack did sit with them for that night, but barely spoke as he devoured whatever food he could place his hands on, and then he'd leave before Astrid could make any questions. He'd repeat this act for an _entire_ week, until Friday, when the levitating candles lightened up the four tables of the Great Hall. The lines of students chatting wildly in the night.

All but two of them.

"Where _is_ he?!" Astrid hissed again, gesturing with her knife to the empty seat next to her where Jack should be. Aster shrugged, devouring the peace of chicken on his hands.

Jack was obviously with Hiccup.

The two boys were wandering through the halls of the seventh floor for an hour now, where they knew most people would not climb up to, especially at that time. Hiccup would laugh as Jack would hold his hand and make him spin around in the mid of the corridor, the two boys losing their heads at the complicity of being out so late.

"Wait, so she actually asked you which side were you on?" Jack asked in the mid of his laughter, earning a roll of nods and chuckles from the smaller boy.

"And I literally said 'my own'," He replied, and Jack bended himself over his stomach in maniac laughter.

"Oh gosh, that was great." He said, slowing down his circle steps as he still held Hiccup's hands. Both boys were dizzy. Suddenly Hiccup looked very serious, as if his mind just registered something.

"Do you really think something is up?" Hiccup said, his voice lower than before. Jack looked puzzled again. "Like, with all these people gone missing and Dementors showing up… do you think there might be… you know?"

Jack only stared at him, still breathing heavily. "It is… just like it used to be before." He said. Feeling the warmth from the other boy hands, Jack nearly choked realizing how strange all that was, suddenly losing his grip on the freckled hands.

"So, uh… Wanna do something right now?" Jack asked, trying to ease the tension. Hiccup was the same as him by that point, noticing how his heart was now beating for an entirely different reason. Both boys started walking further into the halls, still quite close one to the other.

"Oh, I wanted to ask you something, actually." Hiccup said.

"Shoot."

"How come you never talk about your family?" The words left Hiccup's mouth, and suddenly, Jack flinched.

"Um, let's say that's because no one really asked." Jack said simply. Hiccup was left still waiting for more.

"Well, in this case I'm asking." Hiccup said. "I want to know."

Jack placed his hands on a pillar near a window, noticing the bluish-green lights that came from it.

"Well, it used to be just Flee and me." He said, the usually bright side of his features turning sober and darker. Hiccup ended up leaning against the window in front of them, listening. "She was my sister." He added, a downed expression on his face.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked.

Jack stared at the floor.

"We're Half-bloods." He said. "I think dad was a wizard, but to be honest I don't remember them much…" Hiccup was nearly asking who Jack lived with, but he didn't. Now was not the time for those details. "She was just a couple years younger than me. We were in South England back then. There weren't any Death Eaters seen in months…"

Hiccup's eyes were wide open, his hand covering his mouth.

"There was an attack in Brighton that day. Flee and I were far from each other when they came. The muggles couldn't see them, but I did. I ran for her, but it was too late, someone casted a spell right on those gas vaults that Muggles use. Seven dead, right there. Including Flee."

Hiccup was speechless. Jack's eyes were watered, holding back a single tear he wouldn't let go.

"I'm so sorry, Jack." Hiccup said.

Jack shrugged. "It's been six years now." He said, finally, wiping his face with the back of his hands. "Are you a Muggle born?" Jack asked, his voice cracking.

"No," Hiccup said. "My mom was."

"What happened to her?" Jack asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the pillar.

"She was an Auror, in hunt of Death Eaters." Hiccup explained, looking out the window. "She was caught this last summer." He said, Jack's mouth opening in shock. "She was after a former Death Eater that's been on the run ever since the Hogwarts Battle."

Jack only looked at Hiccup, dreading the way it would sound horrible to say he was sorry. He was now taking Hiccup's place as a comforter.

"She's been missing ever since Summer started. They haven't found her body, but it's pretty obvious by now that she's been taken." There was a long silence. "I haven't really told this to anyone." Hiccup said. "I miss her."

Jack looked down at him, a tear also threatening to escape before he took back the hold on Hiccup's hand, rubbing his thumb on the freckled skin. Hiccup gave a sad smile to the gesture.

"You know, they haven't _found_ the body… doesn't mean she's not alive."

"Yeah, but I wish I was that optimistic." Hiccup retorted. "If she's not dead, then she probably wanted to be."

There was another long silence.

"How about your father?" Jack asked. Hiccup only shrugged.

"Haven't you heard? I'm the abort of Gryffindor." The smaller boy said, and Jack immediately understood what that meant.

"Stoick Horrendous?" He said.

"Horrendous Haddock, more like it." Hiccup smirked, sarcastically. "He wanted me to be in Gryffindor. He doesn't really like the wisecracks on Ravenclaw. I'm basically on my own now." He finished, looking at Jack's blue eyes.

Jack thought about it for a second before saying, "Not really, you're not."

Hiccup's cheeks turned red, but he smiled softly, taking in his new bond with Jackson Overland, squeezing back at Jack's hands, still linked to his.

#

After Jack left Hiccup at the entrance of his Common Room, he went back to his own. He was still trying to process in his mind everything that had happened. He had Hiccup. Not in the way he wanted to, but for tonight, he was sure that in the very least, he had his true friendship, which was more he could have ever asked for.

That was until he reached Gryffindor's common Room at the Seventh floor, stepping into the Fat Lady's portrait hole before facing the angry blue eyes of Astrid.

"Nice to see you joined us." She said, skittish. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I was with…"

"Your new friend?" Astrid's voice was rough, sharp as a knife. "Look, I usually don't really care who you walk with, but what is it about the Fishbone that you just can't step away from him?"

"Why do you care?" Jack's anger matched Astrid's, worse. "It's not like you actually gave a shit about him when you're neighbours. Why care when I start hanging out with him?"

"Because he's weird, Jack." Astrid said, gesturing at nothing around herself. "He made you literally disappear for a week now… He's always been this pathetic useless until now and then decided to hex everyone, including you!" Jack rolled his eyes. "He's dangerous."

Jack looked at Aster for support, said boy sitting on one of the red couches by the fire.

"Don't look at me, she's the one who's flippin'."

"Thank you for your support." Astrid yelled at Aster, raising some suspicious looks from whoever was in the room.

However, when Astrid looked back at Jack, though, she found nothing.

Jack was a pro with sneaking out of uncomfortable situations. In a second of distraction, he managed to sneak into the stairs and slip into his room. He sat down on his bed with a 'hump', he was barely annoyed at Astrid. He knew the girl disliked Hiccup from the very beginning, but he was more than willing to simply stop talking to her if that meant keeping Hiccup's friendship.

Still, it didn't mean he wasn't upset. He liked Astrid. Sure, skittish, rude and wild Astrid who was one of the best a duelling he knew, still losing for Hiccup now. But still, he liked the friendship. But if keeping her meant being judged for having Hiccup, then he would choose Hiccup.

Jack looked near him, where on the dresser near his bed, he found the old picture of Flee. A crooked smile, her wide brown eyes shooting up in wonder. Except for the hair and eye colour, she looked like Jack. The same facial structure that made the mark of their blood link.

Jack pressed his two fingers against his lips, then pressing them against Flee's forehead on the picture, before tucking himself for bed.


	9. Joy

**Chapter Nine: Joy**

It has been already a month ever since Jack and Hiccup became officially friends. The tension between Jack and Astrid had diminished after the boy had finally asked her to just forget about it, and the girl promised not to judge Hiccup – at least not when Jack was around. Flimsy, but it was just enough for them.

When Hiccup reached the entrance of the Great Hall that morning, though, Jack was already standing near the doors, waiting, wearing that old blue hoodie and those skinny brown jeans. It was sort of amusing to see the other boy looking so casual, a high contrast to the usual Hogwarts' dark vests.

"Hey." He said, stepping closer to the pale boy.

Jack had his mouth open for a second, for a minute his eyes were lost on the green shirt Hiccup was wearing, a bit long on the sleeves but that suited his skin and frame perfectly. He made a mental note not to comment on it, though.

"Hi." Jack said, his voice lower than usual.

"Any plans for today?" Hiccup started walking past Jack, and making the other boy run a few steps to catch up to him.

"It's Saturday, so basically everyone's going to Hogsmead right now." He said, but with a frown.

By the entrance of the Grand Staircase behind them, some students yelled when the small Poltergeist flew above them.

" _…_ _Something wicked this way comes…"_ Peeves sang as he messed up through the halls, dropping a handful of books - probably stolen from the Library – on the entrance Hall. "Oh, look everybody! It's the Skeleton and the Snowman, our new Valentines!" He yelled, gesturing at the two boys who blushed furiously.

"Shut it, Peeves!" Jack yelled back, dodging from a book that flew over his head, nearly striking him in the face.

"Oh, the snowman is bringing the twig to Hogsmead! _Snowman loves the twig, the Snowman looooooves the twig!"_ Peeves flew into the Great Hall, disappearing behind the big wooden doors until all the boys could hear was the mocking song and the laughter.

"Don't listen to him." Hiccup said, noticing how Jack's cheeks were burning. "He's gonna end up finding someone else to mess up with before the weekend ends."

"Yeah, but I just wish he could shut up about it." Jack nearly whispered.

Hiccup raised his eyebrow. "About _it_?" He repeated with a demanding tone that begged for an explanation.

"Just… never mind," Jack said, now pushing Hiccup to the Entrance Courtyard. "Come on, off to Hogsmead."

"Wait, what did you…"

"I said never mind, Hic!" Jack interrupted, now messing with Hiccup's hair, making the boy huff in frustration.

"Wait, we're still going the wrong way!" Hiccup yelled, making Jack stop in confusion.

"What you mean, the _wrong_ way? There's only one way to Hogsmead…"

Hiccup placed his hand over Jack's mouth, effectively shutting him up.

"My dear friend, this is when you start to appreciate our friendship." Hiccup smirked, and Jack cocked his eyebrow. "Follow me, I'll show you once we're out of this crowd."

Jack followed Hiccup back to the halls, flinching when he heard that Peeves' mocking still hadn't ended, since now half the hall was laughing along with his singing. Indeed, some people gave them amused looks when they linked the song to the scene of the two boys rushing upwards through the castle, against most of the crowd that descended against them.

"Hic, where the hell are we going?" Jack said as Hiccup sped up into a desert hall in the third floor, finally dragging his feet so the smaller boy would have to slow down and give him the attention.

"Okay, I guess I can show you now." Hiccup slid his hand into his pocket, which made Jack gulp until he saw that Hiccup had a parchment in his hand. "This." He gave the brown piece of parchment to Jack.

"What is this?"

"That's the Labyrinth." Hiccup replied, excited. "I've been working on it ever since the third year."

As Jack unfolded the parchment, he understood what Hiccup meant for Labyrinth. His mouth gaped open. Every little detail of Hogwarts grounds were accurately sketched, to the corridors and pathways to the common rooms and toilets. Not missing a single spot.

"This is… It's all… you made this?" Jack was speechless, the details and the cleverness behind it all was just brilliant.

"Yes," Hiccup smiled, proud of his achievement. "This…" He pointed at the corridor they were currently in, and Jack saw the small drawings of two minimal black head and shoulders that wrote in neat calligraphy _Jackson Overland_ and _Hiccup Haddock._ "This is us." Hiccup said. "And this is where we are going." Hiccup said, gesturing to the One-Eyed witch statue near the Defence Against the Dark Arts class. "It's a secret passage to Hogsmead, now we have to worry with this," Hiccup's finger touched the small point near them that read _Argus Filch_ , "Or we're basically screwed."

Jack couldn't say a word.

"…brilliant!" He said, a smiling creeping on his cheeks, mirroring the mischievous smile Hiccup had.

"Let's go." And with that, Hiccup gathered the courage to grab Jack's hand, pulling him into the halls and running towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts corridor, and he could not help but smile when he felt Jack's fingers hadn't left his as they ran.

The one-eyed witch statue was the creepiest thing Jack had seen in that castle, and that was something to remark. He could not believe how he had never paid attention to it before.

"Okay, now watch out for Filch as I take care of this…" Hiccup had his wand in his hand, and Jack nodded before looking out the corridor.

" _Dissendium!_ " Hiccup's wand tapped on the witch's hump, and not a second later, it opened up to reveal the small entrance to a dark tunnel beneath the corridor.

"That is wicked!" Jack said, walking towards Hiccup to look at the dark entrance before them.

" _What is going on here?"_ The tired voice of Argus Filch sounded through the corridor, and the two boys froze.

Before they could say anything, Jack took Hiccup's hand, jumping into the darkness and pulling the smaller boy behind himself. They slid down on the cold stone shortly until they landed on what felt like a rabbit hole.

" _Come out, you little cowards!"_ Filch's voice was getting closer, but not close enough so he could've seen them.

Hiccup swung his wand, and the entrance closed behind them, leaving them in the dark.

" _Lumus!_ " Jack said, and light flooded them from the tip of his wand.

"He can't hear us from down here, now, can he?" Hiccup asked.

"I think not." Jack answered, looking right into the green eyes.

Both erupted in laughter right then. Laughed until they were gasping for air and tears slid down their cheeks. The sudden adrenaline of doing something forbidden getting the best of them.

"Okay, that was a good one." Jack said, wiping his face with his sleeves.

"Let's go." Hiccup pointed his own wand forward, lighting it and taking the lead through the dark tunnel covered in dust and vines. "The first time I got here I ended up tripping and had to go on all the way to Honeydukes with dirt covering my clothes."

Jack laughed. "Wait, so this leads to Honeydukes?"

"Yeah, gets us right underneath the store where we can climb up to the cellar." Hiccup replied, crouching to avoid a spider web nested on the cavernous walls.

"I have a question, though." Jack said.

"Shoot."

"How come you never tried to talk to me all these years?"

Hiccup's steps went more slowly as he digested Jack's question, swallowing at the anticipation of answering such an innocent question that he truly couldn't come up with an appropriate answer.

"I don't know…" He muttered. "I guess you were always surrounded by your friends, I guess it made me nervous."

Jack stared down for a bit. "I wasn't… _always_ surrounded by them," He tried to say, but his voice was lingering on uncertainty. "I mean, I'm sure there was plenty of opportunity so say something, perhaps in the library or… wherever."

"You hate the library." Jack nodded, smiling. "And say what, anyways?" Hiccup said, still not looking back, only walking forwards.

"I don't know, perhaps 'hey' or 'how are you doing?'" Jack would deny if you asked him, but the thought that Hiccup also didn't try to talk to him made him quite upset.

"I guess we're both suckers." Hiccup said. "None of us tried anyways."

"Gladly I did." Jack said, suddenly. Hiccup only snorted.

"You only did because I showed up that night, and it was just a week ago."

"True, but you would have left if I didn't ask you to stay." Jack pointed. "Plus, better late than ever, right?"

Hiccup smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." They kept walking quietly for a few moments. "I didn't know you actually wanted to talk to me."

Jack looked at him.

"Of course I wanted," Jack said. "It's just you never even looked at me after the first year. I thought you were mad that I didn't talk to you first."

"I was a bit mad, but I never really blamed you." He stated. "I mean… I didn't help much either, did I?" Hiccup finally looked at Jack, green eyes on blue, and both boys finally saw how much they liked the other's looks.

That's when Jack suddenly tripped, falling on his face when his foot crashed hard against the first step of the stairs. "We're here." Hiccup said, smiling. Jack rolled his eyes before he gave room for Hiccup to take the lead, and then they climbed up the stairs until Jack got hit again, this time in the head as they reached the top of the tunnel.

"Ouch!" He hissed. Hiccup laughed. "This really isn't funny." If looks could kill, his eyes would have torn Hiccup apart right there. "Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you!" Hiccup said, but it was such an obvious lie that both boys started laughing. "It happened to me the first time as well, both things."

"Good to know," Jack said. Hiccup reached up to the trapdoor and pushed it upwards, climbing the final steps until he was standing in the dusted cellar of Honeydukes. Behind him, Jack rose up, his hand still pressing the top of his forehead as he looked around. "I can't believe we actually did this." He said.

Hiccup smiled. "We just did."

"How many of those passages there are at Hogwarts?" He asked.

"I don't know, that I know at least four, but possibly many more. I mean… this is Hogwarts, you know."

Break through the crowd of students that filled all the corners of Honeydukes to their way out wasn't an easy task, but as soon as they did, the cold air blew on their faces. Hogsmead looked like a Christmas card, its wooden buildings and cottages in weird shapes covered in snow and sparking with ice crystals. It wasn't even winter yet, but Jack and Hiccup still wondered if there was a single day when it wouldn't snow at Hogsmead.

Jack made sure to rush to Gladrags Wizardwear, noticing how they were both shaking with the sudden cold. None of them had brought their winter coats or vests.

"And one would think we'd dress up appropriately to go to Hogsmead." Hiccup remarked, and Jack gave him a half-assed smile while they picked a pair of brown and grey coats.

"Well, we would have if we had planned on it." Jack commented.

"Your fault that asked me on the last second." Hiccup retorted.

"Your fault that you haven't hesitated!" Jack raised his voice, even though jokingly, but made some of the people near to look at the two. "Sorry," he muttered. Hiccup laughed.

Suddenly, Jack's fingers reached a grey beanie that he immediately imagined on Hiccup.

"Try that one." He said, offering it to Hiccup.

The freckled boy adjusted it on his head, feeling how his ears seemed to warm up nearly instantly. "Feels nice." He said. "How do I look?"

Jack was again, at a loss for words.

"Adorable as ever." He remarked, but masking it by pulling the edge of the hat over the green eyes, messing with the other boy. "Take it, I'm paying for everything."

"Jack, you don't have to pay for my clothes, seriously…"

"Nope, I do, I was the one who invited you here anyways." Jack said, stepping further to try on this greyish-blue coat he found. "Yep, definitely taking this."

"You look like a girl shopping." Hiccup said, smirking at Jack's face. Jack only faked offense.

"You wound me, Hiccup." Jack placed his hand over his chest, and Hiccup chuckled. "I should just let you pay for your own clothing."

"Like I just told you to…"

"-Nope, I'm definitely buyin' it." Jack stated, walking past the boy straight to the counter, then looking down at the balcony where he was resting his elbows on as he waited for the wizard to cast his spell, folding their new clothing neatly in two separate bags.

"Why packin' them if we're gonna go out wearin' them?" Jack asked, curious.

"To spread the brand!" The wizard replied, returning the pack and making sure to display the Gladrads logo on it. Hiccup laughed.

Both boys were now wandering through the main street, holding half-full mugs of butterbeer on their hands. Jack stepped closer to Hiccup, swinging his free arm around the other boy's shoulders.

"So, where do you wanna go?" He said.

"Oh, I don't know, it feels like we've been here for hours." Hiccup replied, suddenly content with the weight of Jack's arm around him. He took the opportunity to actually wrap his free arm around the other's waist, and for a blissful moment, pressing the side of his forehead on Jack's chest.

"We could go to Zonko's." Jack suggested. "Haven't been there in a while."

"Sure." Hiccup stated, turning his steps and heading towards the prank shop. "I heard it's nothing compared to the Weasley's Wheezes shop."

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Shame what happened to the other twin, though."

While they stepped into the shop, they noticed most of Hogwarts students were contemplating the items in there. Piles after piles of boxes filled with Boxing telescopes, explosive pumpkin pie, sugar quills and other things Jack couldn't even name right. Everything glowing in bright red and purple shades of the store.

"Feels like home." Jack said, smiling at Hiccup. "Come on, let's plan something."

"Uh-oh, on who?" Hiccup asked, with a sick feeling that Jack's plan would lead to at least a whole month of detention.

"I don't know, maybe Hofferson…"

"Wait, weren't you friends?" Hiccup cocked his eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. Jack was about to answer something when another voice reached them:

"Oh, Peeves was right, if it ain't the new lovebirds?" Nicholas Stonem, a tall boy with olive skin and dark eyes spoke, and he was not alone. At least three other friends were behind him, a girl included.

"Shut up, Stonem, Peeves is just messing with us," Jack retorted, trying not to sound defensive, hoping that the sniggering would end soon.

"I doubt it." Nicholas gave a malicious grim, taking a step forwards. "I think I'm looking at Hogwarts' new couple… of faggots." His hand was heading for his vests, certainly after his wand.

Jack took an instinctive step forward, placing himself ahead of Hiccup.

"Stay away, Stonem." Jack said, his voice stronger than Hiccup ever remembered. "There is nothing for you here."

"Oh, look at him, trying to defend his boyfriend already." The mocking now brought laughter.

"He's not my boyfriend," Jack stated, pulling his wand out of his pocket.

"Oi, Nick," Suddenly it was Hiccup's voice who rose up behind Jack, and things suddenly happened too fast. "Why don't you quit talking shit for a moment?"

In an instant, Hiccup's hand pulled Jack's shoulder backwards, throwing the boy on the floor, then swinging his wand, levitating a small brown sphere, the dungbomb flying all the way to Stonem's face, exploding in a horribly smell of putrefaction.

"Run, run, run!" Hiccup said, pulling Jack along as they sprinted to the exit of the store, the laughter and screams behind them as they exited, and kept on running until they found themselves surrounded by nothing but snows and trees.

They stopped, bent on their knees and stared at each other before, for the second time on that day, they erupted in laughter at how wickedly sudden all of that was.

"Did you look at his face?" Jack nearly screamed, tears streaming out his eyes as he laughed. Hiccup nodded, his hands over his mouth in a way to contain it. And with that, Jack couldn't hold it. Soon, both boys hugged, perhaps the heat of the moment, but they just held one another as they laughed, and everything just seemed at peace for that _one moment_.

"That was badass, Hic, really." Jack said, finally stepping away.

"Thanks." Hiccup replied.

"How did you learn how to duel?" He asked, taking another step back to look at the green eyes. "I mean, I don't remember you being that good before."

Hiccup laughed. "And I wasn't." Then his smile faded. "I guess I haven't felt too inclined to duelling before this year."

Jack only looked at him. They were surrounded by snow, but there was a small wooden fence near them. They walked to it, resting their arms on it.

"Because of your mother?" Jack's voice was soft, but still firm.

Hiccup nodded after a moment. "Thinking about her makes me angry." He said. "And for what I've read, anger helps in battles."

The blue eyes looked down, staring at the snow.

"I feel angry, all the time, to be honest." Hiccup said. "As if I could literally kill someone with my bare hands, even myself."

"Don't say that," Jack snapped. "Don't you ever say that."

"It's true!" Hiccup finally looked back at him. "I mean, I'm not going to jump off a bridge or anything, but I'm so… Argh, I don't know, perhaps I would…"

Jack's body again acted before his mind as he once again wrapped his arms around Hiccup, close enough so his lips were near the other boy's ear.

"Don't." He said, and he could feel his own heart sinking.

"Why?" Hiccup's voice was broken. Crying.

"Because you matter." He answered, his voice much softer than before.

"I don't…"

"You matter to me." He said, finally, holding Hiccup even tighter. It took a moment, but he soon felt the other's arms circling around his shoulders, and then they were in a tight embrace, as Hiccup's tears feel on Jack's shoulder.


	10. Sign

**Chapter Ten: Sign**

The three wizards flew across the sky, dark smoky figures that headed towards the castle. Hogwarts stood, as silent and still as always, magnificent over the highlands of Scotland, its towers lightening the grounds, no one aware of the incoming wizards. The wizards sped up through the sky, wands on their hands until they slammed themselves against the invisible barrier that surrounded the entire castle, the impact sending bright waves that ran through the shield, the sound echoing for everyone inside the walls.

" _Morsmordre!"_ The wizard yelled, and with a deep, guttural sound, the frightening green light emerged from his wand, the skull and the snake hovering above Hogwarts' grounds for the first time in twenty years.

#

Jack was at the entrance courtyard when it happened. The light glimmered on the sky. Next to him, Astrid and Aster froze on their steps, looking upwards as the Shield waved above them.

I would've been only unsettling, until the Dark Mark appeared.

In a moment, all around them, the students yelled, fear rising on them at the sudden attack.

It didn't take long until they started running towards the entrance, dinner still to be served on the Great Hall. At the very end of the Hall, Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat when the wave of panicking students flooded the halls, some girls in tears of anticipation.

As everyone sprinted inside, however, Jack, Aster and Astrid ran towards the entrance bridge, out in the clear where they had the most clear view of the Mark. The impact radius still lightened up the centre of the shield, bright lightning bolts imprinted on the sky, like cracks on the concrete, where just above it the snake floated from inside the shinning green skull.

"Who… how did that…?!" Astrid yelled, covering her mouth with her hands in horror.

"We can't know it from here." Jack interrupted as his heart tightened in his chest. He looked at the two teens before turning around and sprinting towards the castle.

"Jack, wait up!" Astrid yelled before following him, her legs burning as she ran behind him all the way to the entrance, but missing the Great Hall, where Jack turned to the Grand Staircase and sprinted towards the fourth floor.

"Where the hell is he goin'?" Aster yelled, out of breath.

Suddenly, they reached Jack at the top of the Astronomy tower, climbing the spiral staircase until they reached the observation deck, where Jack was lunging to the front porch.

And he wasn't alone.

A small boy with long auburn hair was hugging Jack's body hurriedly, both in apparent urge to check the other's well-being before the two boys pointed out towards Hogwarts' shield, where the Dark Mark still shined, green and sinister on the sky.

"What did you see?" Jack asked the boy.

"Nothing, I just got here a minute ago." The other boy replied, shaking. Suddenly Astrid recognized Hiccup, her neighbour who she would never exchange a word even when they were back home. "How did you know I'd be here?" Hiccup asked.

"I didn't." Jack answered. And then looked back at the entrance. "Glad to know you guys could catch up." He stated, making Hiccup look back as well.

Hiccup's eyes jumped wide open at the sight of Astrid and Aster.

"What is he doing here?" She asked, skittishly. Jack shook his head at her, turned back to Hiccup and focusing only on the boy, who was shaking from head to toe in fear.

"That's the first appearance of the Dark Mark in twenty years, Jack, it's got to mean something."

"They're terrorists, Hiccup." Jack said, placing his hands on Hiccup's shoulders. "They're only tryin' to make a statement."

"How can we be sure that you didn't do it?" Suddenly Astrid spoke, her words reaching the two boys, now incredulous.

"How could you say that?" Jack said in anger.

"I mean, just think about it." Astrid had her hand pointed to her vests, bringing her wand ever so slowly. "Nobody knows how that mark appeared, and he was the only one in a position high enough to conjure it."

"Not another word Astrid, I'm tellin' ya." Aster was the one who spoke. "You're goin' too far."

"Just think, Aster! He was already here; he could have enough time to do it himself if he wanted."

"The Dark Mark only appears after someone is killed, do you really think Hiccup is somehow a killer now?" Jack yelled, and the girl flinched. "That's enough, Astrid, Hiccup didn't do it!"

Jack had his own wand pointed at the girl. "What are you going to do, hex me?" Astrid said, a tear poking out her eye.

"Lower your wand." He warned.

"I don't trust him, Jack." Astrid stood firm, gripping on her wand and staring at Hiccup. Said boy only took a step back, his own hands lifting up not to provoke Astrid any further.

"Astrid, you know me." Hiccup said. "You hate me, and we know it, but you can't assume I'm a death eater. Not after what just happened to my mom." He said, even.

"How do you expect me to believe you?" The girl retorted. "Ever since we are little, you've been weird!"

"That's no excuse, Astrid." Aster spoke, placing himself in front of the other two boys. "We know ya don't like Hiccup but Jack is our friend, and this theory of yours is just somethin' else entirely…" He could not even find an appropriate word for the insanity of all that.

Astrid only looked at them. As far as she could remember, Hiccup was the most peculiar boy on the village of Berk. To say that her family was highly traditional would also be an understatement.

The first memory she had of the boy was when some of the muggle-borns of the village had surrounded him in a small alley, where they would beat him up. She hadn't joined the beating, but she had watched it. She knew some of those kids, even though they were muggles, her family wasn't prejudice, and they would allow her to play with some of them. Not a week later, though, Ed Finnegan, one of the bullies, had to go to the hospital, where he didn't come back from for nearly a month due to a mysterious illness that gave him red and purple bruises all over his body.

You could judge Astrid for her lack of heart, but once both her and Hiccup got in for Hogwarts, the memory of the attack came back to her mind. Her parents always said: Dark wizards don't turn evil in an instant, but from years of pain and prejudice. She deemed better to stay away from the boy.

So feel free to judge Astrid for the fear of all the disappearances, Dementor sights, Ministry inquiries and now the Dark Mark, shining proudly again above Hogwarts. What if all the years of suffering did make Hiccup turn into the dark magic? All the seeds were there. And she knew better than anyone: Trust no one.

"Don't think that this puts you in the clear." Astrid said, finally lowering her wand. "I'll be watching you."

Hiccup only looked at her, not angry nor scared of her, but with the familiar sense of injustice that he got used to after years of harassment. The girl turned on her heels, having a final look at the Dark Mark before walking out of the Astronomy Tower. Jack turned to Hiccup, his hand patting his shoulder in soothing moves.

"We should get back to the Great Hall." Aster said. "All the students are probably there by now.

#

There were still a few students crossing the tall portal of the Great Hall. Some of them were shaking, some of them were crying, but most of them were silent. They all knew what that meant. Jack was walking between Hiccup and Aster until they arrived at the Entrance Hall.

"I think you should join your table." Aster said to Hiccup as he noticed all the students were sitting accordingly to their houses.

The small boy gulped, then nodded, having a final look from Jack before walking to the Ravenclaw table. Jack and Aster sat down on their table, a couple seats away from Astrid, who gave them no looks.

Not a minute later, Professor McGonagall stomped into the Great Hall, followed by the small figure of Professor Flitwick and the high inquisitor, Percy Weasley. As they climbed up the steps at the end of the Hall, the lights on the candles seemed to diminish.

"Everyone, remain calm." Professor McGonagall said, even. Worry and strength filling her voice. "I need all of you to orderly walk to your dormitories…"

"Who casted it?" A girl from Gryffindor screamed.

"Has anybody got hurt?"

"What is happenin'?" Soon, most of the students on the Hall were screaming for answers.

"SILENCE!" The raising voice was not of the Headmistress, but from Percy Weasley himself, his wand pointed against his neck in an enhancing spell. Effective as it was, he looked at Professor McGonagall, nearly asking for permission before he spoke. "We do not know who conjured the Dark Mark. Or the meaning behind it. All we do know for sure is that tonight, around eight fourteen, three dark wizards stomped on Hogwarts shield. The Aurors are looking for any signs of dead bodies around Hogwarts grounds, now, if we had found any, we would've known by now-"

There was a collective jump scare when the doors of the Great Hall were opened again. Two aurors walked into the Hall, all the way to Weasley and McGonagall, whispering a few words before stepping back. For what it seemed, McGonagall swallowed drily, and scanned the room until her eyes met Hiccup across the Ravenclaw table. Percy only nodded. From the Gryffindor table, Jack's eyes wandered all the way from Hiccup to the Headmistress, and a sinking feeling took the best of him when Percy announced.

"We have found a body." The tension grew in the room. "It belongs to Valka Haddock."


	11. Backwards

**Chapter Eleven: Backwards**

After Valka's name was casted, there was a minute of silence in which all the eyes landed on Hiccup.

 _This is not real; this can't be real…_ He thought. But the more that he looked down, hoping that when he looked back up, no one would be looking at him, the reality would hit him. They said her name. It was over.

From the Gryffindor table, Astrid looked over her shoulder, remorse and fear forming on her features. Jack stood up, slowly, nearly out of breath at the image of a suffering Hiccup only a few meters away from him. He could barely give a step towards his direction before said boy stood up, one hand over his mouth and the other wiping off the tears from his cheeks, before he went out running.

All the eyes that were on Hiccup landed on Jack. With a sickening feeling, he walked out of the Hall.

Hiccup went all the way up to the seventh floor, the tears turning into screams, and when Jack finally found him, the boy was standing near a window, throwing punches after punches on the wall ahead of him, screaming.

"Hiccup." Jack spoke, which Hiccup paid him no mind. "Hiccup, please!" The punches grew harder, and blood was being left on the walls as his skin was ripping from the flesh.

That's when the white haired boy pulled Hiccup to him, forcing him to stop and just held him there, forcefully as now both boys began crying, Hiccup's hands now holding Jack's arms as he turned into the boy, dropping his head on his shoulder, finally allowing himself to just _feel_ it.

Unknowing of both Aster and Astrid also there, who followed Jack after he left, and hence most of the students at the Great Hall, including the very Headmistress, who had her mouth gaped open at the scene as the two boys fell to the ground and just held each other. Crying.

#

 _'_ _DARK MARK SPREADS PANIC'_

 _'_ _MINISTER FOR MAGIC DEMANDS PATIENCE FROM THE WIZARDING COMMUNITY'_

 _'_ _We can guarantee the safety of the students' – Headmistress McGonagall announces.'_

 _'_ _THIRD WIZARDING WAR?'_

 _#_

No fearful glances headed Hiccup's way after that night. Mostly, they were pitiful now. Which was even worse.

The following morning, most students took the train home. The classes were cancelled until the following Wednesday, which not everyone was sure they would come back. Astrid was the first one to write to her home announcing she wouldn't be back. In the other hand, Aster would head back to Australia immediately. Jack would never leave Hogwarts if he had a say in the matter, so he got to stay.

But Hiccup had his trunk ready to get back at Berk.

Both boys were at the Hogsmead train station, most students around them heading inside the red train, nothing but a blur to them.

"Are you sure you are ready to see your dad, Hic?" Jack asked, worried.

"Not ready, but… I guess I have to." Hiccup replied. Ever since that night, his voice got quieter, his energy somewhat lower, but ironically, the feeling of constant anger seemed to nearly disappear.

"Just making sure you're okay." Jack said, looking down and gulping at his own words. How could Hiccup ever be okay with that?

"To be honest, I don't even know how I am anymore." The green eyes met the blue again. Hiccup didn't seem sad, or overly emotional. "It's just… like you said once, perhaps hoping that she'd be still alive. Now there's nothing to hope for, right?"

That shattered Jack's heart, right there. He swallowed again, staring at his shoes and searching for the right words before the locomotive blasted its warning toot before it would leave.

Without another word, Hiccup embraced Jack, longer than a friendly goodbye. Pressing his head further against the other boy's chest, and closing his eyes, just _feeling_ the closeness as Jack's hand tangled in his hair, his fingers drawing calming patterns on the base of his neck. They remained that way until the last toot forced them to step away, giving each other awkward glances before Hiccup jumped in the train, shutting the door a second before the train started moving.

Jack only stared for a while, until the train made its curve and disappeared behind the trees. The boy had his mind fuzzing with every little though that his brain could gather, and it gave him nothing but headaches. He took a deep breath as he started walking back towards the castle.

He thought about the Dark Mark, the warnings and the sights. And he thought about Hiccup. How much he just wanted the other boy next to him, to hug him and somehow protect him from the world.

His steps brought him all the way back to Hogwarts' gates, where two aurors awaited, wands ready and eyes alert. Jack stopped, offered his wand and raised his arms as the two wizards checked him, rolling his eyes until they declared him clear.

Hagrid's hut was still there even after all these years. The Guardian of the keys and grounds of Hogwarts was still the teacher of Care of Magical Creatures, which Jack skipped as many classes as he could to avoid dealing with Fire Crabs.

At the Clock Courtyard though, he had his first surprise as Astrid Hofferson stood near the stone fountain, arms crossed and a moody expression.

"Hey." He said, walking towards the girl.

"Hey." She said back, looking down at her own shoes. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Jack asked.

"Hiccup."

The boy breathed in, deeply, forefeeling the obnoxiousness that this talk would bring.

"Listen, we already agreed _not_ to discuss any of-"

"I know we agreed, this is not what I want to talk about." She said, suddenly seemingly lost. "I wanted to apologise." Jack twisted his features, puzzled. "I was so rude to him that night, and then we just find out that…"

Jack only looked down.

"Look, I really think you should be apologising to Hiccup, not me." He made to leave when she spoke again.

"I know." She said. "It's just… I am not going to say that I like him, because I still don't." Jack rolled his eyes. "It's just… I know how much he means to you."

The boy only stared at his friend, seemingly puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

"He's my best friend." He said.

"You've only talked to him for a month." She muttered, and Jack sent her a half smile, completely not a fan of that talk. "When are you going to tell him?"

Jack stared at her, and he could see that she meant exactly what she said. And she didn't have a single drop of sarcasm or playfulness. That was Astrid being dead serious, right then. No point on lying now.

"I don't know. Probably never." He turned on his heels, walking into the Clock Tower, leaving Astrid behind, both still stormed with their thoughts.

#

Hiccup didn't wander much through the trains wagons, soon he found an empty compartment where he placed his trunk. And then just sat down, staring at the fields outside as they grew each time darker and greener. He hated to admit it, but he already missed Jack. He kept thinking about that one hug they just shared, and somehow imagined himself as still hugging him.

The door of his compartment slid open, where Aster stood, a careful expression on his strong and somehow beautiful features. Hiccup never noticed, but Aster was quite a handsome young man.

"Hi." Aster said. "Mind if I join you?"

Hiccup shook his head, and Aster closed the doors behind himself.

"Astrid didn't come along?" Hiccup asked, to which Aster only replied with a head shake.

"She felt Hogwarts is still safer than bein' outside." He mentioned.

"She's probably right."

The boys only stared at nothing for a while, until Hiccup looked back at the window, and Aster looked at him.

"I'm really sorry about your mom." Hiccup looked at him. Not saying a word. "This whole mess is just getting' worse, ain't it?"

"You tell me." Hiccup replied. "One terror attack and everyone's going home, suddenly."

"It wasn't just one attack; the whole bloody world seems to be goin' to shit." Aster said, now looking outside the window. "Attacks like these wouldn't happen for nearly twenty years, and now all the sudden we're right back to facin' a war."

"Do you really think it's going to break out in war, Aster?"

"Oh, yes." He said, but unlike everyone else, Aster did not seem afraid of what it meant. If anything, it sounded just like any regular news. "If we don't do anythin' about it soon, they might as well just let them kill us all."

"So you'd go all-out war by yourself?" Hiccup asked.

"Not me, but," Aster seemed ready to get his wand out of his pocket and start duelling right there. "We can't just let it slide, know what I mean?"

Hiccup nodded. Suddenly, the doors to their compartment were open, and with a loud tap, the boy that probably still had that dungbomb stench stuck on his clothes. He had his brows furrowed in anger, and it was aimed at Hiccup. "Ya think you're real funny now, don't ya Haddock?!"

"Get lost, Stonem, we've got nothin' for ya." Aster spoke, taking his wand as the menacing boy stepped inside their compartment.

"You shut it, aussie," Stonem retorted, which was a mistake. Hiccup's hand was twice as faster and immensely smarter:

" _Expeliarmus!_ " The boy stood up, steady on his feet as Stonem's wand was pulled out of the boy's hand, and with blind luck, Hiccup snagged it with his right hand, and now pointed both wands at Stonem.

"Give it back!" Stonem screamed, anger now drowned in fear.

"Leave." Hiccup said. "Before I make you."

"I'm warning you, Haddock-"

" _Expulso!"_ Aster swung his own wand, and Stonem flew backwards so harshly that he collapsed against the opposite wall with a loud thump.

Hiccup looked down at the two wands on his hands, and a warm feeling went through his right hand as he wield Stonem's wand, now sensing its very loyalty changing. Hiccup smirked. That wand would _never_ be used against him again.

"Good luck with it now." Hiccup said, and smirked before throwing the thin piece of wood and magic near Stonem's goggled expression, daft with had just happened to him. With another flick of his wand, the doors to their compartment swung back shut, and with a final click, he heard the commotion on the corridor forming. Aster gave a look to Hiccup, both dark and stunned at the same time. "Nice shot you gave." He said.

"You too," Hiccup replied as he sat down. They fell back into silence, and the same happened outside in the corridor. "You know, my mother was a Muggle born." The short boy said. "No wonder why they took her for so long."

"Yeah, that really sucks." Aster looked down. "My parents are muggles, you know." Hiccup cocked his eyebrows.

"I didn't know that." He said, his mouth now staying open.

"Yeah… Which means that if we do nothin', soon enough it could be my body beneath the Dark Mark."

Hiccup looked at Aster, who was looking right back at him, this feeling of mutual understanding crossing through each other's eyes. Outside the window, a lightning announced the incoming storm.


	12. Drift

**Chapter Twelve: Drift**

Berk was as cold as Hiccup ever remembered it being. Perhaps it was his emotional state, but he was shaking to his bones. The bus back to Berk was noisy and smelled like smoke, but he didn't have the guts to ask his father to come pick him up at King's Cross. As he walked up through the village, he wondered on the familiar sense of being home, and for a moment, that cheered him up.

When he got to the big wooden house where he lived in, he made slow steps into the entrance hall. His hand waving around to the light switch, until he found the button.

"Dad?" He tried. The house was quiet. "Dad?" He spoke louder.

He went up to the living room. Them the bedrooms. Stoick was nowhere to be found. _Home alone_ , he muttered. Part of him felt relieved for not having got right out having to greet his father, but another part also had this sad empty feeling that he just wanted to have his father close.

The boy wandered to the kitchen. Dark and lifeless for months now. Dust and oil covered the oven and the sink, Stoick was never the best at cooking. But the scent of his mother could still be felt there, and when Hiccup acknowledged that, the tears came, and he broke down, for the first time, alone.

When Stoick did came home, however, it was only hours later, the bags under his yes making clear that he spent both his original shift _and_ the night shift in the Ministry.

"Hiccup?" His voice echoed, and for a moment, that spark of hope flinched in Stoick's chest.

Said boy finally stood up from behind the kitchen table, walking towards the entrance hall. And then straight to his father's arms.

Hiccup had never seen his father cry before. Not when Valka went missing or when Stoick lost his job as Head of the Wizarding Artifacts Department, but now, in a high contrast, the tears were streaming from his eyes like a waterfall. And he hugged Hiccup so tightly the boy thought his spine might break, but he only hugged back, also crying.

"She's gone." Stoick said, again and again. The warmth in his chest turning so hot it could be actually fire, and he felt that perhaps he might not have enough to bare if he was alone. And for a moment, the strained relationship of father and son became as precious and more powerful than it has ever been in fifteen years.

#

"I was in the Ministry when I got the news." Stoick said in front of the oven as he prepared the tea. Hiccup was sitting by the kitchen island, hands joined in front of him as he watched his father. "Anheuser, my boss, yeh know, he came to me personally after he put his hands on the _Prophet_ , said he was giving me some time off to take the news in." Stoick's hands shook as he carried the two tea cups to the island. "I didn't feel ready to just come 'ere knowing she… would not be, yeh know…"

"Yes," Hiccup nodded, wiping a tear off his eye. "When they offered me to go home I wasn't sure if I wanted to come back either."

The freckled hands took the cup, but only held it, feeling its warmth.

"Why did yeh come back, son?" Stoick said.

"I came back for you." Hiccup replied. "I didn't want you alone, specially now." There was a sad and honest grim from Stoick. He actually felt happy knowing that his son cared.

"Hogwarts is safer, son." Stoick said, shaking his head. "I would have understood if yeh had chosen to stay. Besides, I know it's going ter be painful here."

Hiccup shook his head. "It's going to be painful anywhere." He raised his cup to his lips, sipping on the hot tea. "I wanted to come."

"Well… The funeral will be the day after tomorrow," Outside, the snow fell faster against the grounds, starting to cover the windows. "I wasn't sure if there would be enough time for yeh ter see it. How long will yeh be stayin'?"

"Until Wednesday." From his chair, the boy turned his head to look outside the window, watching the snow. "Some students are not sure if they want to come back."

"Do ya?" Stoick asked. "I mean, I know yeh were never a fan of the castle and all… But I would like if you stayed where it's safer."

"I want to go back, yes." The boy replied. "I made some friends this year, they were there for me when we got the news."

"That's good news, son." The huge wizard actually smiled with that. "The first good news I hear in years, basically. But I wanted to talk about that night." Hiccup's green eyes met his father's. "All we have is the Ministry reports, I want to know how it actually happened."

Hiccup had a deep breath. "I don't know, it all happened so sudden. I was walking down the Grand staircase when they hit the shield."

"The Death Eaters?" Stoick's eyes went wide.

"Yes. They flew straight into it. They didn't get through, though." He made sure to mention this part. "But there was this loud… Boom, they truly hammered the shield, then I rushed to the nearest window I could get to, and there it was, the Dark Mark."

"Anythin' suspicious that yeh could've seen earlier?" Stoick again asked.

"No, nothing that got my attention." Hiccup said. "I ran to the Astronomy Tower, but they were already gone by then."

Stoick lowered his head, staring at his cup. "May the gods help us." He looked back up at the ceiling. "It's all goin' back to the way things were before."

"What you mean?"

"Durin' the Second Wizarding War, of course." Stoick answered, adjusting his seat on the table and making the tea cups shake with his huge size. "Things are… just like before. I don't know if it was in the Prophet since I trust none of what's written in there, but there has been more people missin', weekly."

"Like mom?"

"Even worse," his father raised his eyebrows. "Yer mom was on their hunt, it was her job as an auror," Hiccup felt slightly proud at those words, "but now they are targetin' everything related with the muggle-borns."

"Have anyone else we known disappeared?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh yes, do yeh remember the Hoffersons?"

Hiccup nearly chocked. "What?"

"Asger and Vali Hofferson, the father of that blonde girl, I think she studies with you. In the same year." Stoick answered.

"Wait, that's… when?"

"A couple weeks ago." Stoick said. "We hadn't had news from 'em in weeks, until they sent some aurors to their house. Completely empty."

Hiccup had his mouth open. "But I… I just saw Astrid only yesterday… She didn't know anything."

"How often does she mails her family?" Stoick asked.

"I don't know, I never talked much to her." Hiccup said as his father stared suspiciously. "Jack would've told me something if she knew, she would've told him."

"Who is this Jack?"

"Jackson Overland, we became friends this year." Hiccup replied simply.

"Well, poor lass… if she depends on the Ministry she'll never get the news on time."

"Wait, but shouldn't it be the Prophet's job to let us know about all the disappearances?" Hiccup was getting each time more unsettled.

"Yas, but people are gettin' scared, _Heccup_ , if they let everyone know about everythin' that's happenin', the Ministry will have a mass panic to deal with, if not a full uprisin' on their hands."

#

 _Astrid,_

 _I know we have basically… zero closeness, but if the Prophet won't share the news then I guess I have to. Your parents have gone missing for two weeks now. They left no traces, and the ministry hasn't shared the information. I am sorry. I got little information, but I've been to the house earlier today: it is empty._

 _I am sorry for letting you know like this. But I know how it feels._

 _Write me back if you feel like it._

 _Hiccup._

Hiccup wrote that letter to Astrid later that day. He wasn't affectionate to her in any ways, but she had the right to know. He borrowed Ash, an old dark owl his family had, and sent it later that same night. The owl would arrive at Hogwarts by the morning. It made his heart sink to send the news through a letter, but he felt it was the right thing to do, sending the news as fast as possible.

Only a few people attended the funeral, mostly relatives, but some friends from Valka's time at Hogwarts. It was a grey day for most of what Hiccup could see. Valka's funeral followed the former Viking wizards tradition. The body in the ship, sailing peacefully on the water. Hiccup dried his tears with the back of his hands as his father raised his bow with the flaming arrow.

When the string was released, the arrow flew it's bowed trajectory to the boat, leaving behind a trail of smoke. Soon, the fire spread through the ropes and wood, gulfing the ship on fire, the red and gold flames mixing with the auspicious colours of the twilight sky.

As everyone started to walk out, Hiccup stood, even after Stoick had turned his back to the final lights of the flaming ship, after it had already disappeared in the horizon.

Hiccup's green eyes nearly reflected the view, glassy.

"Mister Haddock." A voice behind him spoke. The boy turned, startled.

A tall wizard in black vests, the Ministry's insignia on his chest.

"Who are you?" Hiccup asked, his voice low and husky.

"I am the Minister for Magic, Eames Shaw." The man said. He had this strong features on his face after Hiccup had a better look, as if the age turned his skin into a solid rock. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" The boy was unamused.

"An offering, my boy. And a deal. Consider that as an invitation straight from the Ministry's office."

"I want nothing from the Ministry, sir." Hiccup said, crossing his arms. "What do you want from me?"

The Minister took a deep breath, suddenly realising Hiccup would not be an easy going person.

"The wizarding community is scared. The Death Eaters, the Dark Mark. And I don't know if you've been aware, but your name has appeared on the Daily Prophet lately."

Hiccup raised his eyebrow. "I haven't read it, no."

"Well, people are intrigued. Your mother is the first known victim of Death Eaters in over twenty years. So the Daily Prophet figured it'd be interesting if you could give us a word about this whole story, you could start from when your mother disappeared, or letting them know of her bravery-"

"I'm not doing any of that."

There was a long awkward silence. Then Shaw smiled, looking sideways.

"I don't think you got it, Hiccup. People are getting scared, they need a role model. You need you to help us out, clearing the whole situation to calm down everyone-"

"I understood perfectly." Hiccup stated. "I'm not helping any of you."

The man stared at Hiccup, puzzled.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have to get ready, I'm heading back to Hogwarts by the morning."

"Mister Haddock…" The Minister tried again, until another voice boomed above them.

 _"_ _Are we havin' a problem here?"_

Stoick Haddock stood a few feet away from them, higher from his position on the top of the hill, still bathed on the last rays of sunlight. Hiccup looked up to him, and somehow found the amusement to smile. No wizard would be fool enough to mess with Stoick Horrendous Haddock.

Shaw gulped.

"No, I just wanted to have a word with our brave Hiccup here…"

"Yeh've had yer word." Stoick stated. "Now leave."


	13. Gift

**Chapter Thirteen: Gift**

The trip back to London was silent, but comfortable. Stoick actually gave his hand to Hiccup at some point, and just squeezed it once, a gesture of support that made the boy smile for a bit.

King's Cross was crowded with the mass of people, but Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was strangely darker than Hiccup remembered. Perhaps due to the timing. He was used to boarding the platform at 11:00 AM, but now was still 09:00 AM. Some fancy precaution from Minerva McGonagall.

"Do yeh have everything yer need?" Stoick asked, and Hiccup had a deep breath.

"Yes, sir." Hiccup nodded. The toot sounded, making Hiccup jump, startled.

"Here, son, I got ya this." Stoick pulled a small package from his pocket, a small square box, not bigger than a shoe box, with circle holes on the sides.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, attempting to open it, but Stoick placed his hand above his son's.

"Just open it tonight, not before, yeh got it? You'll like it." He assured.

The whistles sounded again, just in time for Hiccup to give Stoick a final hug. It has been a while since they had not shown basically any act of affection on this place. Hiccup closed his eyes, again just feeling the moment. "I love you, dad."

A tear escaped Stoick's eye. "I love you too, son." His father said, before letting his son go. "Take care."

Hiccup nodded. "You too."

And with that, Hiccup jumped in the Hogwarts Express, fighting to fit his trunk inside the locomotive, and turning to the window to give his father a final look before the train started moving.

It was then, wandering through the wagons that Hiccup saw him. Snotlout was standing in the wagon, along with his Slytherin peers. Hiccup's eyes met his for a moment, cold as ice, his expression harsh.

Snotlout didn't stare back, but didn't do anything remotely offensive either. Hiccup walked past them without looking back, and went on to the next wagon.

He found Aster sitting alone in an empty compartment.

"Hi, mind if I join you?" He said, copying what Aster had told him only a couple days ago. Aster smirked, and Hiccup mirrored.

"Be my guest." He answered, and the other boy got in, closing the doors behind himself. He helped Hiccup putting his trunk above their seats, and then both boys sat down, staring out the window.

"How was it with your father?" Aster asked.

"It was alright." The smaller boy replied. "He seemed okay, all things considered."

"Do you believe some of the Prophet's reporters came to my parents' house last Sunday?" Aster said. Hiccup stared at him, furrowing his brows.

"What did they want?" Hiccup asked.

"They want to get 'my' point of view of the whole thing, but they're only tryin' to make things seem safer than they actually are." He replied. "They kept retortin' my answers to make the shield seem impenetrable."

"The Minister came to my place as well, asking for the same thing." The boy said, and Aster gulped. "Right after her funeral. Said he wanted to calm everyone down."

"Wow, wait up, the Minister himself?" Hiccup nodded. "Bloody bastards, they are." Aster commented. "At least we still have the Quibbler."

"Quibbler?" Hiccup asked, "Don't tell me you read that rubbish."

"Oh, I recommend you to read that rubbish yourself." Aster said. "That guy's not afraid to write exactly what happens. No wonder it's been banished so many times before."

"What you mean?"

"Durin' the Second Wizardin' War, they came after that guy so often… Not just Death Eaters, but the Ministry as well. They tortured him, even kidnapped his daughter."

"You're kidding." Hiccup crossed his arms.

"It's history, mate." Aster shrugged, amused. Hiccup rolled his eyes, staring back at the window.

"Guess I'll check out on the Quibbler, then." The auburn haired boy said with finality.

"You do that." Aster winked, and for the first time, Hiccup actually smiled.

There was a long silence. "Aster," Hiccup said.

"Huh?"

"Have you heard anything about Astrid's family?" Hiccup said.

"Not that I can remember, why?"

And Hiccup told him everything he heard from his father. From the disappearance to the Ministry's coverage of the case.

"I can't believe it…" Aster said, disgust more than anger filling his expression. "How long do they think they can hide this?"

"Not much, I hope. I sent her a letter as soon as I knew." Hiccup said.

"You did well." Aster said, now looking sad. "She'll be heartbroken once we get there. Did she reply to you?"

"Nope." Hiccup answered. "Not that I was expecting a reply from her anyways."

"Wait, complete silence?" Aster asked. Hiccup nodded. "That's not good news."

"Why? She never really liked me in the first place."

"It's not that." Aster placed his hand on his forehead. "Astrid is not the type to ignore things like that. She's not entirely evil, you know? But if she gave no reply, perhaps the Ministry must be checkin' on the mails we're sendin'."

Hiccup stared at him. "What you mean?"

"It's a bloody conspiracy, Hiccup." Aster said, annoyed. "Astrid would never let this go quiet, so I'm positive that your letter might have never even got to her in the first place." Hiccup had his mouth open. "I'd look for my owl, first thing when you get to Hogwarts."

#

Aster turned out to be a nice friend. The afternoon they spent together, he made sure not to mention Valka's name. He knew the right thing to say. Allowing Hiccup to pay for his own sweets when the Trolley Witch appeared. He wasn't a joker like Jack, but his natural sarcastic and sassy nature matched Hiccup's, in a way both boys ended up getting along just fine.

When they reached Hogwarts, the sun was still visible in the horizon. Hiccup figured there would be less students coming back to Hogwarts, but was surprised to see things were nearly the same as ever.

Jack was waiting by the entrance courtyard when they arrived, dressed in his blue hoodie, leaning in against the stone wall. When he saw Hiccup, he walked to him, pulling the boy into a crushing hug before the boy could barely step inside the castle properly. Hiccup chuckled with the tight embrace, hugging back once he dropped his backpack. Around them, people looked, but no longer judging or sneering like before, but mostly sympathetic ones.

"How was it?" Jack asked.

"I'll tell you soon, did she get my letter?" Hiccup interrupted.

The white haired boy furrowed his eyebrows. "Who?"

Hiccup's hear sank. "Astrid, I sent her a letter, did she get it? She stayed here with you."

"Hiccup, we didn't get any letter."

Hiccup grew pale. "We need to find her, something happened to her family." That's when the small boy ran, and Jack ran after him, screaming his name.

"Wait up!" Jack called, but Hiccup disappeared somewhere inside the Great Hall. When Jack finally reached him, Hiccup had already made sure Astrid wasn't there. "What happened?"

"Her family is missing for two weeks now!" Hiccup was panting, breathless. "She has to know."

"What?" Jack was incredulous, suddenly his own heart skipping a beat.

"I sent her a letter, but the Ministry must've intercepted it." The boy explained. "We got to find her, she needs to know."

Jack looked around. He didn't spend as much time with Astrid as it seemed. Mostly he'd spend those days wandering around the castle while the girl would be off around the lake or inside the common room. "I'll check our Tower, she could be there." Hiccup nodded, and Jack ran off to find his friend.

#

When Astrid got the news it wasn't either from Jack or Hiccup, but from Aster. As soon as he found her, he told her everything Hiccup had told him. At first, the shock had made the girl emotionless, then the confirmation once Hiccup and Jack ran to her, and reality would hit her hard. She ran off, disappearing behind the castle's grounds and hiding near the Black Lake where no one would be at that time.

"Have you found your owl yet?" Aster asked Hiccup once they were by the Entrance Hall. Hiccup shook his head. "Have you checked the owlery?"

"Why didn't I think of that?" Sarcasm dripped Hiccup's mouth. "I'm already considering Ash has been either captured _or_ killed by now."

The dark energy rose among the three teens.

"I'm heading to bed." Aster said, stepping away.

"You didn't even have dinner yet," Jack pointed.

"Not hungry," and with that, Aster left, walking back inside the castle and disappearing behind the entrance door.

The two boys kept on wandering through the courtyard, until they settled on a bench near the covered pathway. Hiccup told Jack everything about his meeting with his father, and answered every little question about the Minister's official visit.

"I think he just wanted you as their marketing face," Jack said. "You know, your name appeared on the papers at least a dozen times only this week, people _did_ get interested."

"Whatever, I'm still not doing shit for them." Hiccup retorted. "Dad said it's safer here in Hogwarts."

"He's probably right. Even being right in their aim they're probably never getting in." Blue yes directed towards the night sky above them. "Trust no one."

"Trust no one". Hiccup replied, remembering the line McGonagall told him on her office just a month ago. "Anything interesting happened while I was out?"

Jack grimed. "Not a bloody thing. I mean, aurors coming and going at least three times a day, which is basically useless considering there was nearly no one here, but… Everything got just too boring."

"Guess you're glad I'm back, then." Hiccup smirked, and this time Jack actually nodded.

"I missed you." The taller teen said.

Hiccup's eyes shot open, finally losing that sad tone to his smile, but instead a flattered one. Blushing. He swung his arms around Jack's waist. "I missed you too."

Jack hugged him back over his shoulders. "I might be wrong, but I could bet that the teachers are giving us an easier time with their homework tomorrow." Hiccup giggled.

Suddenly Hiccup jumped, freeing himself from Jack's arms.

"Oh gods, it's night already!" He exclaimed suddenly. "Meet me at the Astronomy Tower in ten minutes!"

"Wait, what?" Jack suddenly got confused, shaking his head as if someone had slapped him across the face. "Wait up!"

"Just meet me there!" Hiccup yelled before disappearing.

Hiccup ran all the way back to the Ravenclaw Tower, avoiding every living soul he could, with one thought in his mind: his father's box. As soon as he stopped at the Ravenclaw portrait, he spilled the answer of the riddle and jumped into the room, nearly stomping into a seventh year girl on his way. He crouched besides his bed, pulling the box to himself, feeling how something seemed to swing inside. He gulped.

And then ran all the way back, the girl he bumped in still watching in shock and yelling when he nearly crossed her again, fast as a lightning.

When he reached the Astronomy Tower, Jack was already waiting, his elbows rested on the balcony, looking at the night view of castle ahead of him.

"Here." Hiccup yelled, basically sliding on the wooden floor. "Dad just gave me this, right before I got into the train. He told me to open it only tonight."

Jack seemed curious. "Let's do it then." He smiled.

Hiccup sat down right there, crossing his legs, and Jack joined him. The freckled hands grabbed the cover of the box, taking it off to reveal something that he most certainly was not waiting for.

A miniature of a black dragon stood inside the box, so small Hiccup could put it in his hands if he wanted to. Its dark scales had some shades of blue on them, and its green eyes were wide and fierce, unlike most dragons Hiccup ever studied about.

"Is that…" Jack started, "a dragon?!"

"Shush!" Suddenly Hiccup became aware of how dangerous that was. "It's not an ordinary dragon; that's a Night Fury right here!" Hiccup exclaimed, lowly. "They're very rare, last time they were seen was decades ago in Norway, before our great-grandparents were even born!"

The small dragon contorted itself inside the box, suddenly looking up, its eyes meeting Hiccup's and escaping a small fragile guttural sound that made Hiccup pop his mouth in awe. He lowered his hand, allowing the tiny creature to curl itself inside his palms. The freckled fingers petted the creature, that seemed to hum in content.

That's when they noticed a small piece of parchment inside the box. Jack's hand that grabbed it, unfolding it and reading it.

" _Burn this letter after you read it.'_

 _'I know how much you love dragons, and all things considered, I suspect breaking one more rule won't be anything new for you. This may seem like a model dragon, but use the incantation mentioned beneath it – Only in places it will not be seen – and you'll have its true size. Don't let anyone know of your possession. If the Ministry caught it, then you'll have a handful of problems to deal with. You can choose its name, and keep it safe. Someday it may return you the favour.'_

 _'There is another letter with some basic instructions on how to take good care of it, make good use of them.'_

' _Essentio makes it real, Ocultatum makes it small."_

Jack's eyes wandered from the letter to the small dragon, and then back at the letter.

"Let me see it," Hiccup raised his hand to the letter, and Jack gave it to him, also extending his hand so Hiccup could place the small dragon in it.

As Hiccup read the letter, Jack observed how the dragon curled itself around its own tail, not sleepy, in fact it was wide alert, but also as if it was too quiet, scanning the room and observing all of its surroundings.

"I don't think I've ever heard about a dragon so quiet before." Jack said.

"What you mean?"

"I mean, look at him!" Jack had a glint on his eyes as he cupped the dragon inside his palm, his finger petting the area beneath its chin, which made a funny reaction; the dragon literally twisted itself, shutting its eyes really tight in apparent bliss from the touch. "Also, never seen one that looked so cute."

"I bet most of them would seem cute if they fit inside your pockets." Hiccup remarked, smirking, and Jack gave the dragon back to Hiccup.

"What are you going to call it?" He said.

"I don't know… Is it a he or a she?" Hiccup wondered, examining the dragon, now laying on his own back on Hiccup's palms.

"I think a female dragon wouldn't be so docile." The other boy had the smallest of grins, just like Hiccup, finding the small creature adorable.

"You can literally feel its heart beat."

Jack smirked. "How about you name it Jack?"

Hiccup chuckled, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."


	14. Strands

**Chapter Fourteen: Strands**

Jack was wrong about the professors taking it easy on them the next day.

The looks and the words were less severe, and directed to Hiccup, much soother, but the homework was a living hell.

"What did you expect? These are O.W.L.s after all." Hiccup elbowed Jack on his ribs, playfully.

Aster was sitting next to Astrid, only one desk ahead of the two boys. Her cheeks were puffed, and her eyes red, as if she spent the entire night crying. Which, she could have might as well done.

It wasn't until much after lunch that something interesting happened.

Hiccup scribbled down the notes professor Binns conjured on the chalkboard. " _It is not uncommon for Wizardry and Mythology to mix even in the Muggle culture. Muggles deem fairies smart and powerful creatures when we know for a fact that that is far from the truth. Magical History goes from the creation of the legendary Hidden Box to the expansion of anti-life. What the Muggles call the Pandora's Box, we refer for a fact to hold the Aether, the most dangerous substance on the Wizarding World. The Box is hidden for a very appropriate reason, for it must not fall in the wrong hands. Nicholas Flamel wondered on the use of the Aether as the most devastating tool for global reshaping and mass extinction of species…"_

"How could we make some of that Aether?" Jack whispered to Hiccup, and the boy only gave a sly grim.

"Planning to mummify someone?" Hiccup replied. It was known that Vikings used Aether to transform dead bodies into Snow Giants. But that was Muggle mythology.

"I wouldn't mind having Stonem mugged right now." Jack said, and Hiccup had to hold his laughter not to disturb the class.

"I hope I am not interrupting." Mister Beans exclaimed from his position behind the desk, and both Hiccup and Jack went quiet.

It was then that something big slammed against the window, all heads in the class turning to it. A girl screamed:

"It's an owl!" And suddenly Hiccup was rushing to the window.

"Ash!" The boy exclaimed as red drips marked the glass where the owl hit.

"Mister Haddock!" Professor Binns exclaimed as his lecture was interrupted. Only when Hiccup opened the window for the owl to come in, he saw the twisted angle on the owl's wing, seemingly swollen.

Ash collapsed on Hiccup's arms, quiet and still, but eyes alert and roaming the room.

"He's injured!" He warned the teacher, and there was a collective 'aw' from the class.

"Take her to the Hospital wing, immediately." The ghost professor instructed, and so Hiccup did; giving a worried look for Jack before rushing out the door, carrying Ash gingerly on his arms.

#

"Looks like he was hit by a stunning spell." Madame Pomfrey told him as she examined Ash. "He must have fallen mid-flight when it hit him."

"Is he going to be okay?" Hiccup asked.

"Sure, give him a week of rest and he'll be back on the owlery in no time." She explained, casting a spell that made the scattered ingredients on the desk near them to mix and boil into a potion. "Although I have to admit, I don't commonly attend animals in my Wing."

"Sorry, I didn't know who else to run to." Hiccup explained, but the lady only waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't worry, better that you brought him to me than a random teacher. I still remember when a snobby teacher tried to do my job and fix a broken arm… poor lad had all the bones in his arm missing."

The door of the Hospital wing swung open, both Hiccup and Madame Pomfrey turned their heads to see as Astrid walked into the room, her eyes still wet as she came to them.

"What's the matter, dear?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

"I have to talk to Hiccup, Madame." Astrid answered, and Hiccup gave a last look at Ash before leaving the Hospital Wing to join the girl, that took him to the corridor outside.

"What is it-"

Hiccup let all the air in his lungs escape when Astrid's arms laced his shoulder, burying her head on the crook of his neck.

"I'm sorry." She said, and Hiccup realised she was crying. He awkwardly hugged her back, placing his head over her head. "You would have to be completely mental to cast the Dark Mark over the castle."

Hiccup let out an awkward chuckle as he finally hugged the girl tightly.

"You don't have to-"

"I do." She said, squeezing him tighter. "Thank you for letting me know."

With the emotion and the shock, Hiccup just smiled, a tear threatening to escape his eyes. "You're welcome."

Astrid loosened her grip on the boy, wiping a tear from her cheek. Hiccup was about to say something when the girl's strong fist punched his shoulder. "You've never saw me cry, got it?" She said, the shadow of a smirk on her lips.

Rubbing the impacted area, Hiccup smirked back. "Deal."

They gave each other sad smiles, before the girl finally asked, swallowing any sadness down her throat. "What is your next class?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts." He said.

"Good, me too." Astrid said, rubbing the sides of her eyes, still red. "Come on, we'll be late."

Jokingly, Hiccup offered his right arm, which Astrid hooked her own by her elbows. And that's how the somewhat strange friendship between Astrid and Hiccup started. As they walked through the corridors, all the eyes fell on them. Astrid lowered her head for the first time ever since Hiccup ever remembered seeing the girl.

"Embarrassed for walking with me?" He asked, twisting his face.

"No," She replied. "I just don't want them to see my face like this."

Hiccup looked around. "Well, you don't look that bad." He said, and the girl's sparking blue eyes met his, a provocative smile appearing.

"I have a question, though."

"Shoot," He answered, amused as two Slytherins observed them walking with raised brows.

"How long have you and Jack been going out?" She nearly whispered, but Hiccup nearly choked, about to retort when she continued. "No need to be secretive, you guys are being just too obvious."

"We're not going out!" Hiccup whispered back, but his cheeks were a beat shade of red.

"Don't lie." She said, "I'm not going to judge."

"I'm not lying; we really are just friends." His green eyes wandered everywhere but at her direction, awkwardly.

"Shame…" Astrid pouted her lips. "How long until you ask him out?"

"Probably never-"

"I knew it!" She half whispered, half yelled, but anyway gathering looks from around them. Hiccup flushed. "Sorry," She whispered again.

"I didn't even say anything." Hiccup remarked.

"You said _probably_ , which for me means that you _do_ like him but is not willing to ask him out yourself." She said, rolling her eyes. Hiccup was now a very bright shade of red.

"Okay, perhaps I do, but still, I doubt it'd ever be reciprocal. We're just… good friends, and that's fine by me."

"Oh, that's just bollocks." Again, she rolled her eyes, adjusting her fringe as they got into the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, the class slowly filling. For Hiccup's surprise, she sat right next to him. "Don't worry, I'm just borrowing you for today."

"It's fine." Hiccup said. "Astrid, promise me you're not telling Jack anything."

"Ugh, boys, always complicating things." Astrid sighed. "Why not?"

"Because you know what happens when this sort of thing happens. He'll either call me a faggot and stop talking to me _or_ beat me up and call me a faggot and _then_ stop talking to me, and I don't want any of that."

"Oh, boy…" Astrid said. "Okay, but just because I owe you this."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, smirking. "Good enough for me."

"Seriously, Hiccup." Astrid said. "You _do_ know how messed up this whole thing is." She turned very serious. "I would have never known anything if it depended on the Ministry, and you got your owl hurt for it. And even after I was so mean to you… I can't thank you enough."

Hiccup actually was touched by Astrid's words. He smiled at her, that heart-warming smile that made their bond official. "You're welcome."

When Jack and Aster walked in the room, both boys nearly choked seeing their two friends sitting together, so casually talking as if they were long-time friends. Jack actually stared for a while, until Hiccup saw him and winked. A mix of amusement and jealousy filled Jack's heart right then.

#

For a while, you could say that some sort of strange peace fell into the four teens. Astrid and Hiccup became great friends. Even better than she would be with Jack. Sometimes they caught the other mourning or, rarely, breaking down for their families. Helping each other through wasn't that hard, because they understood what the other felt.

Hiccup was glad he had Astrid now, but only a couple days later, for what he wanted to do, she wasn't exactly what he needed. Right after the final class, Hiccup ran to Jack, grabbing his arm and calling him up. Puzzled, the white haired boy ran, tripping on his feet as he las lead to the entrance of the castle. The sky was already a deep shade of purple, and a few stars were visible.

"Hiccup, where are we going?!" Jack asked.

"You'll see." Was the answer, and when Jack slowed down his steps, Hiccup made sure to take his hand to keep on pulling him.

Hiccup pulled Jack all the way through the entrance yard, and then further deep into the grounds, until they entered the Forbidden Forest.

"We're almost there." Hiccup said.

Jack was never one for rules, but the Forest was nowhere a place he enjoyed sneaking into. After a few minutes, they found themselves nearing a strange junction of big rocks, as if they formed a gate. Hiccup crossed it first, and that's when he pulled Jack into a strangely warm and lit clearing, descending at least the height of an entire tower deep into the ground, and it seemed large enough to fit the entire West Wing of the castle.

"I found this place years ago when I was sneaking out." Hiccup pulled Jack by his hand, proudly. "I don't think anyone has ever found it before. It's near the edge of the shield, so probably no one will see us."

"It's quite beautiful," Jack said. " _Lumus!"_

The bright light from Jack's wand allowed him to see that there was a small lake, its water forming through a strange canal that Jack presumed was directed from the Black Lake. A few pine trees surrounded the stone walls, forming a cove.

"Okay, look." Freckled hands got themselves into the pocket of his vests, where Hiccup pulled the small dragon. "Here you go, bud." He whispered. Placing the small dragon on the ground, he pointed his wand.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" Jack asked.

" _Essentio!_ " The smaller boy muttered.

Blue light lines formed all around the small dragon. It was the most beautiful magic when the dragon started to grow, little by little, and Jack held his own mouth not to scream.

With a gurgling sound, the dragon raised his head and roared, a strong and resonating roar that made the night rejoice. Because right in front of him stood a full sized Night Fury.

#

Once the dragon was again turned small, Hiccup put the small creature over his shoulder. He decided to name it Toothless, due to its retractable teeth. Both boys walked hurriedly through the Clock Tower Bridge, the twisted wood stalls making a tortuous path.

"How often will you bring him back here?" Jack asked.

"As much as I can after classes; the later, the better." Hiccup had this decided energy to his voice, as if a new light had brightened all his being. "How often can you come with me?"

Jack shrugged. "As much as you want me to, probably. Let's not forget we still have our O.W.L.s, though."

"I didn't know Jackson Overland still cared about his grades." Hiccup teased, and the small Toothless seemed to grunt from Hiccup's shoulder. Both boys found it adorable.

"I usually don't, but doesn't mean I want to quit school, you know?"

#

This routine started between the two boys, in which they would sneak out after classes, wait until they had to tuck in for bed, and run for the Forbidden Forest. Hiccup would cast the spell and Toothless would jump up top its true size, a majestic bluish-black dragon that would fly hours into the night towards the depths of the Forest.

"Watch out, Hic." Jack muttered when Hiccup would sprint through the woods. Hiccup would only laugh it off whenever he fell – which was plenty of times.

There was just this glint on Hiccup's eyes, this wonder and excitement that Jack could not help but stare at. It was beautiful, the way Hiccup and Toothless would bound, quickly gaining confidence in each other. Jack would break his own standards and surprise even Madame Pince when he spent hours in the Library researching on dragons, only to find out there was no records in known history that suggested there was any behaviour in other dragons that got at least similar with how Toothless was. "I've never seen a dragon so calm like this." Hiccup whispered as the hard nose of the dragon would touch his palm, his nostrils moving.

"They're not supposed to be calm like this." Jack answered, nervous.

And that was saying something. Most dragons weren't that smart, or sentient for other human beings, and as far as he could see, he had developed a deep emotional bond with Hiccup. Although he seemed unsure near Jack, to which the boy commented:

"It's as if he was that overly jealous girlfriend or something," and Hiccup laughed at it, pushing Jack's face away with his hands.

Eventually, Toothless would start flying, gaining confidence in the cove. Oddly and uncoordinated as it was, the huge black dragon made flips and twists through the Forest, the dark scales mixing with the night sky, making him nearly invisible. The dragon roared, safeguarded by the forest, and then would dive back towards the ground.

#

Hiccup carried the miniature version of the dragon back to his room after they parted ways. Toothless would find the small area over the headboard that was rusted and scratched by careless students that came before him, and curled itself inside its wings, falling fast asleep.

During the day, in the short blissful breaks between classes, Jack and Hiccup would dodge to the Library and start their research, often daring into the Restricted Section where they would find the most advanced tales of dragons in Wizarding History. "Hagrid should probably know a lot about those creatures." Jack commented.

"Yeah, but it's not like we could just go there and be like 'Hey, Hagrid, any tips on how to care for a forbidden mysterious dragons as we break at least two hundred rules of the Ministry?" Jack laughed as Hiccup rolled his eyes, focusing back on the books.

"There was another announcement on the Ministry, you know?" Jack said, and Hiccup looked up at him. "The Head of Educational Standards is trying to invest in Hogwarts supervision."

"Ugh, just when I thought things were going to get easier…"

"What does that mean?" Jack asked and Hiccup grunted.

"It means the Ministry is trying to intervene in Hogwarts," Hiccup explained, lowering his voice until it became a growling sound that caused shivers to Jack's ears.

"Isn't that what they've been trying to this entire year so far?" Jack said. "I mean; we are having to check on a freaking note board when we arrive for curfew."

"I have a feeling it can go worse than that." Hiccup muttered, eyeing Jack's hands as he struggled to finish his Divination essay, they boy clearly not understanding another word of what he was writing. "Oh, give me that!" Hiccup hissed.

"What are you…?" Jack stuttered, puzzled.

"I'm correcting this, before you end up writing something even more embarrassing than ' _the dark upcoming vision of Uranus'_ ," the boy scuffed and Jack laughed.

#

Argus Filch walked towards the Grand Hall entrance, carrying an insanely tall ladder that nearly smacked everyone's heads on his way, climbing up to the very top of it and grabbing a big wooden frame and a hammer. Everyone stared as he hammered the proclamation into the wall:

 **PROCLAMATION ONE – SANCTIONED BY THE MINISTRY**

ANY ASSOCIATION TO CREATURES NOT IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL CREATURES IS FORBIDDEN – SAFE FOR OWLS **OR** CATS **OR** TOADS.

FAILURE TO THIS RULE SHALL LEAD TO _IMMEDIATE_ EXPULSION.

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

#

"Do you think they know something?" Hiccup asked to Jack, later that day as they sneaked into an empty classroom.

"They can't know it; we've been careful about it." He said, and Hiccup wandered around the room, pulling his head backwards in angst.

"What do we do?" He said, lowly so no sneaky ears could listen. "Anyone in my room could have seen Toothless, what if he's taken away?!-"

"Hey!" Jack said, grabbing Hiccup's shoulders and forcing him to calm down. "Look at me: they can't track Toothless, your father's letter said so. Even if they find him, all they'll see is the model dragon, and that is not illegal in the castle."

Hiccup forced himself to breathe. "What if they try casting a spell on him?"

"They won't find out anything." He promised. "We already tested that one out, remember?" Hiccup nodded. "It'll be fine."

#

Indeed, on that same day Hiccup was called to the Ravenclaw Tower – Toothless was presented back to Percy Weasley himself.

"It's just a model," Hiccup explained, his skin paling while the High Inquisitor looked over at his shoulder, and quickly Hiccup noticed the Auror standing behind the red haired wizard.

Percy discreetly winked at Hiccup, taking the dragon model on his hands.

"I haven't seen one of those in a while now… my brother works with real dragons in Romania, keeps sending us pictures sporadically." He muttered, raising his wand. Hiccup held a breath, shutting his hand tight as he prepared himself for the worst: " _Especiallis Revelium!"_

Nothing happened. Toothless only looked at Percy with curious green eyes.

"Seems about right." Percy said, looking back at the auror that accompanied him with a satisfying grim. "You can keep your _dragon,_ " Percy smirked as he returned the creature back to Hiccup's hand, and the boy sighed contently once they were out of the Ravenclaw Tower.

#

It was in the next day, though. As Hiccup strolled down the Grand Staircase, it seemed like every last student was walking towards the Entrance Courtyard. He saw Astrid's blonde locks in the middle of the crowd.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Astrid gave him a worried look. "It's professor Hagrid." She said.

The mass of students was gathering around the centre of the courtyard, snow slowly falling over the centre where Hagrid stood, his figure raising nearly higher than the covered corridor that surrounded the area. Two enormous trunks were thrown near his feet, to which he looked down, tearful. The scene broke Hiccup's heart.

Two aurors stepped out of the Castle's entrance, pointing their wands, and soon, a little man wearing deep blue robes appeared, and Hiccup nearly choke. The Minister, Eames Shaw, who only a month ago asked Hiccup to act like a posing model for the Daily Prophet, took out a parchment from his pocket.

" _Any near human creatures are being restudied by the Department of Magical Creatures, and until further notice, deemed dangerous and inapt to mix between pure blooded witches and wizards-"_

The biggest choir of mockery insults from the entire Hogwarts history began, students started to boo at Eames right there, and Hagrid looked around, partly stunned, partly crying.

"SILENCE!" Eames voice rose from where he stood, and the action only caused people the scream louder. "I'm warning you-"

CRACK

Right there, in the mid of the crowd, another wizard apparated, black robes spinning and lifting the snow to reveal the round pair of glasses, and again, everyone screamed louder, this time cheers of excitement and rejoice when Harry Potter himself arrived at Hogwarts.


	15. Order

**Chapter Fifteen: Order**

The cheers surrounded Harry just like they did twenty years before. It didn't take too long until Minerva McGonagall walked into the courtyard, her green robes floating around herself when she straddled stubbornly towards Harry, offering her hand, which he took with a clear expression of respect for his former teacher.

"It seems like you are doing marvellous with your new occupation, Eames." Said Harry. "The students are truly excited with your new tactics."

"Potter," The Minister replied, a fake air of superiority on his grin. "As head Sof the Aurors Department, you should consider to abstain from the _higher_ Ministry's business. As you see, as Minister, I-"

"You have the right to dismiss members of the school's staff." This voice belonged neither to Harry or Minerva, but the red haired Percy Weasley, who also walked towards Shaw, positioning himself between the wizard and the half giant. "However, as the High Inquisitor, Minister, I remind you that you don't have the right to ban them from this place." All eyes were on them as Shaw looked sideways, insecure. "This decision lies with the Headmistress only. And reminding you of what happened last time someone tried to subdue this rule, and came face to face with Albus Dumbledore himself." His voice was as sharp as a blade.

No wizard in right mind would dare to cross Dumbledore's legacy.

Eames made a disgusted face for Hagrid, right before turning on his heels, heading out of the courtyard.

"Thanks, Percy," Harry said, shaking his hand before turning on his heels to greet the half-giant, who nearly crushed the Auror in a bone cracking hug. All the students remained where they were until Professor McGonagall spoke.

"All of you, head back to classes."

#

There was a dark mood creeping up the castle. McGonagall was furious, everyone knew that, but when Harry Potter showed up in the castle, then things went down right frightening. The whispers were everywhere, some were excited, some were scared. A few remained alert. It was clear that Potter was furious with the overall situation. The spot for Care of Magical Creatures was yet to be filled, and Hagrid hadn't been seen out of his hut for days.

Four new Aurors arrived at Hogwarts that same afternoon. Black vests and hard expressions, standing still at every entrance. For weeks, blocking Hiccup's final hopes of ever going out with Toothless. The small dragon became unquiet on the headboard.

"I'm sorry, bud," Hiccup muttered one Saturday, when the snow would lazily fall over the windows. "I wanted to get you out."

There were small dragon-like grunts coming from Toothless throats, and Hiccup gave an unhappy smile. The boy would carry the small dragon everywhere as much as he could, even though most classes would not allow him to keep the creature.

Hiccup pulled the Labyrinth from his pocket, and even on Saturdays, all the entrances were guarded by Aurors. Jack's name was still near the entrance of the Great Hall, but neither Astrid's or Aster's names were near him. Hiccup ran right to him.

Jack was still waiting when Hiccup got there, but instead of the usual mischievous or plain happy look, all he saw was a dark frown that surely meant no good.

"What's up?" Hiccup asked once he got near him.

"Thank God, you showed up." Jack said, his voice sounded annoyed as well. "Hide him!" Jack said, quickly but gently picking Toothless from Hiccup's shoulder.

"Wait, what are you-?!" Hiccup was both confused and scared.

"Shush, no time to explain!" Jack gingerly placed Toothless on the inside of Hiccup's vests, earning a small screech from the creature. "We got to get to Hagrid, immediately." He practically whispered.

"Hagrid-?!"

"SHUSH!" The taller boy actually hissed as he squeezed Hiccup's wrists, earning a silent yelp from the other boy.

Both boys walked to the entrance, trying their best to act casually as they walked between the two Aurors that guarded that entrance until they were out of sight, snow pouring on their heads when they started to sprint their way to Hogwarts' Grounds until they began their descent to Hagrid's hut.

"How do you even know Hagrid?" Hiccup asked.

"Long story," Jack replied. "We've been in touch ever since third year." He explained.

As they stepped near the hut, though, they heard the voices. They were not alone.

" _I'm asking you one last time,"_ A grave and pompous voice rose from inside the hut's walls, and Jack had this sinking feeling forming in his stomach. " _I know Potter has been warned of your demission, who have you been spyin' on?"_

 _"_ _I have no' spied on anyone!"_ Hagrid's voice sounded annoyed, impatient. " _Don' yeh think this is the firs' time someone tries ter take information from meh, but this is bloody nonsense!_ "

There was a sharp sound when the other's wand sliced through the air and most certainly pointed at Hagrid's face.

" _Your insolent thief, you disgusting half-blood-_ "

It was either bravery or stubbornness that made Jack rise from his place, knock on the door harshly and stand at the entrance, proudly announcing that he could listen.

"Hagrid, are you in there?" Jack sang, sounding overly confident when immediately, there was a loud CRACK and the door swung open, revealing the Auror, now seemingly small, concealing his wand behind his cape.

"I see you have visitors, I'll leave you alone for now." The wizard spoke, slightly harsh to the half-giant as he stepped out of the hut and bumped his shoulder against Jack's, walking out to the snowy grounds back to the castle.

#

"I'm glad yeh two came now." Hagrid spoke as he served the tea in the two overly big cups for the two boys. "Although I still think it is stupid from yer par' to cross an Auror, Jackie, especially now tha' they seem so keen on takin' out every undesirable creature."

"I'm sorry Hagrid, but I had to keep him away from you." Jack spoke, noticing how Hagrid's hands would shake the teapot. "That's fine, thank you."

Hiccup noticed how Hagrid was loud and careless as he fixed the mess on his hut. "You seem to have everything packed." Hiccup spoke.

"Aye, now that the Ministry nearly took me out of my own home, I need ter keep things at hand, now, don' I?" Hagrid turned back to the smaller boy, that near him felt even smaller than usual. "What is yer name again, by the way?"

"Hiccup." The boy rushed to answer. "I'm in your classes."

"Oh righ', the little Toothpick, righ-?" Hagrid seemed to remember, but Jack hit a well-aimed kick on the edge of the Giant's foot. "I'm sorry, I should not have sai' that..."

"It's fine," Hiccup coughed, suddenly awkward as Jack pulled him by the wrists to the chair.

"Hagrid, we needed to talk to you." Jack said, putting down the cup of the horrible tea and trying his best not to make a nasty face at it. "What was that auror doing here?" He cocked his eyebrow.

Hagrid stopped moving, looking over his shoulders before whispering. "There's nothin' I can say if I'm not sure they won't hear."

To that, Hiccup, who was still trying to climb the tall chair, took out his wand, swinging it once. " _Abbafiato."_ He said, and suddenly it was as if a deafening bubble formed inside the hut. Jack widened his eyes at Hiccup, once again amazed at the boy's skills, and such stare did not go unnoticed to Hagrid.

"Very well, then," He started. "Le's not act shocked a' the news tha' the dark wizards are joinin' again."

"You mean Death Eaters?" Hiccup spoke, and there was a collective shiver up everyone's spine.

"Yes. And even thou' it's been twenty years since the fall of Yeh-Know-Who, many wizards and witches that were pro the Muggle Born Commission Registry 'ave been investigated by the Ministry, and some of those investigations are goin' on even today."

"Like the Malfoys?" Jack said, and there was a strange nod.

"Don' even remind me of this name, I taugh' personally ter a Malfoy, yeh see? Still remember his firs' class, tha' little bastard. Face to face with Buckbeak, arrogant and shown off like he was… yeh should've seen how the creature knocked 'im out!" And the giant started laughing at the seemingly hilarious memory.

"Most people think Death Eaters went hiding after the Second War." Jack said.

"Aye, but yeh, more than anyone knows better now, don' yeh Jackie?" Hagrid had a soft tone as he said that, but even so, Hiccup looked worriedly at his friend.

"So they've gone back to active now?" Hiccup said.

"Imma'fraid so, lad, but probably by a different name _and_ leader, if they even have one." Hagrid spoke, now very serious. "For years there hasn' been a single wizardin' act that was as frightenin' as the ones back on those days, and now all the sudden, twenty years later, here we ah," And Hagrid sounded deeply tired, shaking his head. "It was just like this the las' time. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named acted silently, joinin' recruits for his cause, but never endin' his attacks. Yeh do understand his goal, right? Ter wipe out any member of the Wizardin' Community that is not considered a pure blood or anythin' else."

"Muggleborns." Jack said. "And that's why they're after you? Because you're not entirely a wizard?"

"Fancy way ter call me half-giant, but yes, that's why." Hagrid did not sound offended at all, but still Jack muttered sorry. "It migh' not be long until I have ter ge' the hell out of here…"

"But, you can't leave!" Jack nearly screamed in shock. "I mean, Hogwarts would-"

"-be just fine without me." Hagrid calmly added, and Jack's shocked expression slowly died to a more concerned one. "It's not like it hasn't happened countless times before, lad, besides," Hagrid threw a big piece of meat to a hungry Fang. "I migh' be more useful outside the castle, especially now that they all started lookin' for it."

Jack and Hiccup looked at each other before turning back to Hagrid with meaningful stares.

"And I should not have said that…"

"Oh, no, you already did." Jack said, leaning in to the table. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

Hagrid cursed under his beard, grunting before looking back at the two boys.

"How good is this spell yeh just casted, lad?"

"Good enough." Jack replied for Hiccup, and the small boy just nodded with an awkward grin.

"Okay, hear this, for I'm not repeatin' myself: The Order is formin' again. And yer too young to even participate, but know this, if the Ministry is compromised, then yer better get the far away from here, especially yeh, Haddock." The two boys had their eyes nearly enlightened with what they heard. "Now, ya never heard that from me, but if I was yeh, I'd get the biggest number of friends I could to prepare all sorts of mess we could." He leaned back, and lowered his dustbin lid sized hand to pet Fang. "Hogwarts could certainly use a li'e mischief."

"Wait, Hagrid," Jack pleaded. "What are they looking for? You said they were looking for something."

"I can't tell yeh, lads." Hagrid tapped his hand on the table, not angrily, but still enough to make the cups shake. "This is the Order's business, I should not even be talkin' tha', now off yeh go."

"Hagrid-" Jack asked again.

"I said, off yeh go."

#

Hagrid's words kept hanging on the boys heads as they made their way back to the castle, Hiccup hugging himself to prevent the shivers that crept up his body. Jack blew air into his hands to warm himself, and their noses were very red with the cold. The velocity that the snow grew to cover the majority of Hogwarts' grounds was shocking, and a blizzard was sure to form in moments.

"Here," Jack muttered, his arms reaching around Hiccup's shoulders, and the boy gladly curled himself into Jack's chest, just like it was back on Hogsmead. Oh, what they wouldn't do for another round of butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks…

"What do you think that was all about?" Hiccup asked, his eyes wandering sideways through the castle's grounds. "That whole thing about the order, what do you think he meant, like building an army?"

"Shush." Jack looked around them, searching for Aurors. "I'm not sure if it's the best thing to discuss this here."

Just then, as they were near the stone circle that rose up before the wooden bridge, three wizards appeared. Call it luck that both boys stopped dead on their tracks before they could have been seen, but they immediately retreated a few steps until they got to actually see the scene before them:

What seemed like three wizards crossing the bridge turned out to be two Aurors half scouting, half dragging a tall wizard, with hair as red as fire.

"Is that…?" Hiccup could never finish his sentence as Jack's hand tapped his mouth, pulling the smaller boy by his vests and nearly throwing Hiccup on the floor behind the bridge entrance. The boy yelped, silently though, as the three wizards dragged Percy Weasley, nearly unconscious through the grounds, walking down past the Stone Circle and heading towards the school entrance.

"Let's go." Jack hissed as he pulled Hiccup back up, and both boys sneaked in to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the trees concealing them. As they followed the Aurors, they could hear no words, keeping their heads down and tripping on their way through the woods.

Only when the Aurors dragged Percy to the very entry of the School territory, after the gates that signalised the edge of the magic shield, they could hear the words, briefly.

" _Should we end him?_ " One Auror asked, gesturing his wand.

"Not us, and not here. _The Obscurus will want him."_ The other replied, twisting himself with a loud CRACK, the sound muffled by the reforming shield before they disapparated.


	16. Inquisition

**Chapter Sixteen: Inquisition**

 **PROCLAMATION TWO – SANCTIONED BY THE MINISTRY**

AGATHA WHITE HAS REPLACED PERCY WEASLEY AS HEAD OF HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

As the days grew colder, Astrid knew that the holidays were approaching. The snow would fall slowly some days, winter coming near, and so would Christmas. At any other year, the blonde girl would be excited for going back home, spending the Christmas eve and the New Years with her parents. But that particular year, such thing would not be possible. She had other relatives who offered her some shelter, of course, but once Hiccup announced that he'd stay in the castle, the girl politely refused every other invitation.

It was all directing to be a remarkable Christmas, until she saw the boys. Pale looks, eyes wide in shock and dry throats, she knew something was off. For as soon as they had put themselves together they made sure to tell the girl everything they had just witnessed. When they were done, the girl had her mouth open in shock, her eyes scanning their surroundings to check if anyone close enough could listen.

It was right then that she saw the strangely emaciated figure of Argus Filch crossing the hall, holding an enormous wooden ladder beneath his arm, nearly knocking down a few students on his path.

"That can mean no good." Hiccup muttered. Astrid stepped forwards, examining the big wooden portrait the keeper carried up among a hammer, stabbing the new Declaration on the wall. This one meant a new High Inquisitor. The second portrait, near the one that announced the review for magical creatures, was way lower so students could read it clearly.

More people were climbing down the marble staircases, crowding in a mass of students staring at the wall, getting more and more numbers. Aster came down as well, walking straight to the two boys and Astrid, standing next to the girl. Filch brought another two heavy frames with him, nearly hitting the students across the head with his ladder, then climbing up and hanging them up even higher.

" _Every student organisation has to be reviewed, including reading clubs, Quidditch teams and any non-official formation."_ Hiccup read. "What exactly are they going for?"

"That is an excellent question, Mister Haddock." Minister Shaw walked into the entrance hall, dodging through the mass of students, all around him and trying to stay as far away from him as possible. "The Ministry has found better for the safety of the students a complete review on every and each possible formation that could represent a threat to our school system, and…"

"So reading clubs and Quidditch teams are threats now?" Hiccup's sharp voice had cut through Eames words, and students around him yelled in approval. "What is this, are you afraid that they're going to start throwing books and broomsticks at the Ministry's door?"

"That would be certainly unsettling." Obscene yells from students followed the minister's reply, and it got clear how unprepared the wizard was for that position. "Alright, everyone…"

"Are you going to cast away the centaurs too?" Another voice rose up from the middle of the students.

"And Hagrid as well?" This time Jack spoke, and even though not everyone was a fan of Hagrid's classes, cheers supported him.

"The Ministry of Magic is not at the mercy of scholars and teenagers!" The minister rose his voice, now in complete loss of his own control. "Everyone!" But the chaos was taking place among the students, and soon offensive slurs were shout across the hall. Even Professor McGonagall appeared, and even though she might have acted like calming the students, she quietly took pride in seeing everyone cursing the Minister, and mostly kept herself from joining the choir until a sinister dark voice buzzed:

" _Silence!_ "

This voice wasn't either a scream or a desperate shout, it was a command. A strange, feminine voice that seemed to float through every living soul in that hall. As every head turned to the entrance doors, standing right there they saw a strange short woman, dressed to her toes in dull brown robes. Her eyes were an odd shade of blue, not like Jack's icy blue eyes, but a pale shade, nearly grey, as if life was being extracted from them. She had this forced expression on her features, and Hiccup wondered if she had eaten kittens for breakfast. Suddenly he understood who she was.

"As the new High Inquisitor of Hogwarts School, I must admit that I am… deeply impressed by the scale of indiscipline from the students." She said in an annoyingly sharp voice. Also, not sharp as McGonagall's, which was filled with witness and discipline; hers felt like thin blades scratching black boards, ear deafening and cruel.

"You must be Agatha White; am I correct?" McGonagall finally walked down the final steps towards the new witch that had just came in.

"Minerva, yes." The hispid way she pronounced the Professor's name sounded wrong, as if she had spelled the letters backwards. "I assume you are responsible for…" Somehow, it felt like White was referring to the chaotic mess rather than the actual school. "…this."

McGonagall examined the woman up and down before answering. "The school, yes, I am the Headmistress." The witch took a firm step in front of the new High Inquisitor.

"Well, Minerva, I am rather shocked at my reception. Certainly that I had expected a better behaviour from the student group, but in any case, the Minister considers that if the responsible Headmistress cannot take the grip of its very school," McGonagall seemed at the very edge of exploding right there, if not holding herself for dear life. "Then I guess we can all say it's a lovely thing that I happen to be right here."

Every eyes on that hall were stuck on that woman, talking so deeply and so passionately that a twisted feeling shock up through Jack's body.

"Agatha, what a lovely thing to have you here." The Minister stepped forward to the witch, taking her hand but all she gave him was a cold look of unworthiness.

"I suspected that the Minister would have everything under his control, am I right?" White said, adjusting the dark brown scarf she wore – Hiccup could not even distinguish one piece of clothing from the other. The woman started walking towards the students, as if she was examining each and every single one of them. "I see these little heads of these teenagers, so clouded, so… empty." She moved her hands enthusiastically as she spoke, but it looked like she could grab someone by their necks in an instant. "I feel this teenager spirit trying so desperately to take control of their own beliefs, am I right?" She looked straight through Hiccup, and a wave of disgust rose up inside both Hiccup and Jack. "But I think you fail to see that there is a great difference between what you believe it's best and what is actually for the best of your well-being. See, you're only children, magical blood running through your veins that demands discipline to shape its good use." She sounded passionate about it. "And the Ministry will, I can assure you, shape your little heads into working the very best that the world expects from you all, fitting into the same patters and good costumes that got our world growing for centuries."

Students looked one to the other, shrugging. Agatha's eyes met Hiccup's again, taking another look at his incredulous expression as they stared at each other, repulse growing inside him. That is when Hiccup felt a hand touching his shoulder, and warmth got back to his chest as Jack pulled him one step closer, so Hiccup was standing right in front of Jack. At that sight, the witch gave a strange face, as if her eyelids shook in stress.

"I think it's best for us to take this to my office." McGonagall said, finally, walking to the witch, and White gave Hiccup one final look before readjusting herself. "We have much to discuss. All of you, head back to your classes."

Someone yelled " _It's Saturday!"_ on the background, but people paid him no mind. The two witches stepped away from the scene, the minister following closely behind as the students watched.

#

It took Jack only a day to realise what the new High Inquisitor was all about. The four teenagers were standing in the Astronomy Tower, Hiccup and Jack standing by the observation deck while Astrid and Aster sat down on the floor.

"What do you think she meant with all that?" Aster spoke. "That whole thing of _feeling the spirit_ or whatever." He mocked her voice in a strangely high pitched falsetto that made Hiccup actually flinch. Astrid replied to him:

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it? The ministry is trying to keep us under their thumbs now. It's like if they were afraid of us or something."

"Well, she saw how we reacted to the Minister." Hiccup spoke, his back to the view of the Castle's towers as he faced his friends.

"Yes, and that only puts you in her black list, doesn't it?" Astrid said, causing Jack to look worriedly over Hiccup, and the girl again remembered how obvious their feelings for each other was. She didn't comment on it, though. "I mean, you clearly have more wits than the minister, and that's not only because he's daft; then secondly: you basically started that entire protest yourself, which puts not just him, but consequently the entire ministry off balance since they can expect nearly no support from their own students; and third: we all saw how she looked at you before McGonagall pulled her away."

"I think it's the first time you talk nicely about Hiccup." Aster remarked, and said boy actually blushed.

"Astrid's right, though." Jack said. "Thing _are_ changing, and not for the better."

"Hagrid has made a comment on the Order today." Hiccup remembered. "That the order was reforming, did he mean the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Nah, mate, the order was finished after You-Know-Who was taken out."

"Yes, but he said they were reforming," Hiccup looked at Jack now, both boys now thinking about everything they heard from Hagrid. "He said that the Ministry was compromised."

"Compromised?" Astrid got up on her feet, walking to the boy. Hiccup nodded.

"I can feel it comin', I tell ya." Aster fixed his sitting position. "With these bigots takin' charge and now that your parents…" Astrid looked sternly at him, swallowing. "Everythin' is headin' to hell by now. The Dark Mark, an' now… I mean, if the dark side is recruitin', I don't see how the Order wouldn't."

"Even if they are forming," Jack interrupted. "There is no way we can just join them, I mean, if they're not dead, they're so far from us and we're still scholars yet!"

"Hagrid's part of it." Hiccup pointed.

"Yes, but he's one step away from being kicked out from the castle." Said Jack.

"Not if Potter can intervene…" Astrid reminded.

"It won't matter, it's compromised anyway! I'm up to assume that every person somehow connected to the Ministry cannot be trusted." Jack shook his head. "If we have to make a group, it has to be made of people we actually know, no one else."

The words fell on the four teens, and there was a long silence in which all heads looked down, their minds fuzzing until Aster spoke up again.

"We still have McGonagall." The three heads turned to him. "And even if she is now under surveillance the whole time, I could bet that if she has the chance, she'll be the first to raise her wand."

"She _was_ good friends with Dumbledore…" Hiccup said. "She's the one who told me not to trust anyone. Hagrid said they're looking for something. We don't know what it is yet, but if we did…" His eyes met Jack's as the boy smirked.

"I'm in." Jack said.


	17. Curse

**Chapter Seventeen:  
Curse**

"Not even a month before the holidays an' they will still make us study?" Complained Aster one afternoon, as he and Astrid were heading down the grounds after the potions class.

"If you didn't comment on it perhaps it'd feel less irritating." Astrid retorted, hitting his elbow with her shoulder. "I wonder how exactly you made it to this school." She said, and Aster gave her a strangely amused look.

"If you want me to leave, then I will try not to take it personal." Both teens smiled, and again Astrid bumped into his arm.

"I didn't mean it like that, it's just that I thought Australia had its own wizarding school."

"An' they do," Aster replied. "Happens that my dad is an English man, and he married my mom in Hertfordshire."

"I thought you were from the Gold Coast!" Astrid said, smiling at the taller boy. "Like, with the accent and all…"

Aster laughed. "My mom lives there, an' I was basically raised there, but I was officially born here." He explained simply. "I wish you guys could say _better_ with flaps, though." He spoke, faking the English accent, which made the girl widen her eyes in amusement. "This _T_ thing sounds exhaustive."

"Try using glottal stops then." She said, smirking.

"Then welcome to Bris'tol." Both friends laughed.

There was a strange gathering forming near the edge of the forest, as most students gathered for their class of Care of Magical Creatures. Most students dreaded that class, and were truly just waiting for the next year when they would hopefully no longer need to attend it.

Hiccup was already there, this time by his own when he noticed his other two friends approaching. He waved at them before stepping closer to them.

"What are they all waitin' for?" Aster asked.

"I think it's the new teacher." Hiccup answered drily, remembering how Hagrid had been fired from his position – and nearly kicked out of the grounds afterwards.

They were expecting perhaps a known magizoologist, or even a Ministry employee, or perhaps a centaur, which Hiccup found fascinating. But once the brown robes of Agatha White were distinguishable among the snowy grounds, a collective aw of unhappiness rose. The witch climbed down the irregular grounds, trying to keep her steps firm but it got clear that she was not used to such a strange terrain. Eventually she reached the students.

"You've got to be messin' with me…" Aster said, rolling his eyes.

The witch forced the brightest smile she could pull, desperately trying to look excited – which gave her a terribly strange appearance, as if she could take someone's head off with her own hands when she announced:

"Welcome, class! How refreshing is it to have such an interesting class for this… singular discipline." By her voice alone she could have strangled a whole bunch of little kids for breakfast. "I hope that we can, together, form your heads in preparation for the adequate – Ministry approved – methods of dealing and treating with these creatures."

There was one thing Hiccup quickly noticed about Agatha White: she was by far the most unprepared teacher to deal with A - magical creatures; and B – students. As soon as she opened the gates to the enclosure of the Fire Crabs, she kept on waiting for the students to go ahead of her rather than simply getting in herself. Then the lecture came, and it turned obvious that the woman had absolutely no idea which level that class actually was – since she kept bringing back lessons outdated from fourth year.

"Professor, I think you're doing it wrong." A girl from Hufflepuff finally said after the teacher started to retreat the creature with her wand, pushing it against the fence. "You're not supposed to hex them with magic."

Hiccup, who was already skilled with his lot, actually paid attention to what the girl was referring to. The teacher casted a shield spell against the turtle-like creature, which managed nothing more than to get it angry, and small spirals of smoke were forming from its tail.

"I believe your instructions are outdated, Miss Cattermole." White said, her voice somewhere between trying to keep her posture and panic. "We have to teach these creatures that they're here for our taking. And I'll make sure to teach you how to properly claim them."

Hiccup stared at the teacher, incredulous. Aster and Astrid joined, the girl's mouth gape open as the teacher turned her back. "Observe." She said, and the entire class stopped to watch in horror.

" _Locomoto Mortis!_ " She muttered with a sickening malice. The creature contorted itself as its legs joined beneath it, making it fall to the ground with a strong thump. Fire erupted from the creature's tail. " _Reducto!_ " She ordered again, and with a bright blue flash, the creature's tail exploded, earning screeches of pain that set the entire enclosure in shock.

"Stop it!" Hiccup screamed, running towards the creature that now found itself rolling over its tied legs and chunked tail, its mouth screaming and turning into a fearful glare at every living soul there present. "What are you doing?! You're hurting him!" He screamed again.

"I'm afraid that is the point." The professor said, and as the creature ran away from Hiccup's hand, a twisted smile displayed on White's face.

"You're meant to take care of the creatures, not scare them!" He yelled, pointing his own wand at the chunk of what was left of the Fire Crab. The beast still stepped away from him, screeching in terror.

"And you're meant to be learning, not lessoning me on my _own_ class!" The professor nearly shouted. "Ten points from Ravenclaw!"

The look of utter disbelief on Hiccup's face was enough to make Aster and Astrid raise their voices. "You're torturing the creature!" Astrid pleaded.

"This is not fair!" Aster spoke up, and soon a whole choir of voices rose up, and the trembling lip on White's face gave it away before she snapped.

"ENOUGH!" The way she contorted itself resembled much of a curse for Hiccup, but the instability of that moment was enough to make everyone retreat at least three specks back.

Her eyes locked right on Hiccup's, who was still bent near the hurting creature, finally calmer after he was able to place his hand on it's crystallised shell.

"From every single creature on this planet, we must understand the _privilege_ that it is to be us!" The sick smile returned, and so did the twisted excitement. "The most advanced, intelligent and powerful creatures. It's all about us! Wizards!" She clapped her hands, but in reality nobody seemed to cheer. "That's is why you're having detention with me, Mister Haddock. Tonight, on my office. I am sure you will find it particularly enlightening."

#

Jack's chest was a tight muscle throughout that day. He had forgotten how hard it was to walk around Hogwarts halls without Hiccup. Indeed that was one of the few times on the week that the boy had to be kept apart from his friends. These moments were rare, but they were painful. He felt it in his chest, he felt it screaming and hurting. Loneliness used to be an ally before. But now that he actually cared for his friends, it was a weakness.

"Hey, handsome." He heard the voices. "Finally alone now, huh?"

The same girls that would call him out. In any other day he would just ignore. "Not today." He grunted, speeding up as he passed by them, making sure to step far from their position. The girls giggled. "Oh, he's shy, girls." They said, hiding little chuckles with their hands.

Jack sped up, sprinting his way out of the corridor and down to the Great Hall for lunch.

Hiccup and the others were sitting together on the Ravenclaw table, which Jack found unusual, since it was much easier for the smaller boy to join the others on the Gryffindor's table, however as he came closer to them, he listened.

"…bloody woman is just messin' with you, Hiccup." Aster reminded Jack of a protective bird with the wings hovering over Said boy had a deadly scowl screwing his face, his eyebrows nearly joining into one.

"She wants revenge because everyone cheered for you, that's what she wants." Astrid had her hand gripping on her cup, her fingers so white that Jack feared the cup might break. But what really had his attention was Hiccup, staring down at his plate as if he wanted to set it in fire.

Even a Ravenclaw prefect seemed to near the group. "Nobody's blaming you for those points, Hiccup." He commented, and Jack's confusion grew larger.

"Did something happen?" Jack asked, staring blankly at his friends. Astrid only looked back at him, apparently unsure of how to explain to him everything they had just witnessed. That is when new voices formed from outside the hall.

" _What are you insinuating, Minerva? Trying to lecture me about my own class!_ "

" _If I was heard correctly, you have greatly dishonoured the primary teachings for your lesson!_ "

Every student in the Great Hall rushed to the entrance. Minerva McGonagall and Agatha White were climbing up the marble ladders, arguing heatedly.

"I must inform you, Minerva, that the Ministry is now deeming new ways of dealing with creatures that stand beneath our might, and-"

"By torturing them in front of the students?!" McGonagall's voice rose, horrified. "If these are the new doctrines of the Ministry, we should really reconsider where our loyalty is directed to-"

"Ah! But I knew this is where it would lead now, wasn't it?!" There was a triumphant air on White's expression. "Trying to marginalise the Minister in order to perform your… _flawed_ practices! It really is no wonder why half the Ministry in under surveillance."

"You are completely out of your mind!" The tallest witch exclaimed.

"Oh, Minerva, we shall see soon enough." She then looked straight at every student gathered in front of her. "Hogwarts good costumes are far more lost than I've ever imagined! If we don't cut our decadent standards now," It seemed like most of the school was crowding the hall. "Then the Ministry must intervene drastically."

#

"She can't torture these creatures, she won't." Jack said later that day. "I mean, the Ministry is dealing with much more than just students, most of their employees have children in Hogwarts."

"You think they care about what anyone thinks of them by now?" Astrid retorted. They were sitting on the clock tower courtyard, the four teens near the fountain of the mermaids. "Everything on the Prophet is being twisted and nobody knows about what is going on in here."

"Someone must have told their parents, Astrid." Aster pointed.

"We can't know for sure. The mails are also under watch."

"I can't believe she actually just tortured that Fire Crab." Hiccup said, holding the small dragon on his finger as Toothless tail curled around it. "So far we already know she's prejudiced and cruel."

"Hic, don't you have detention to attend?" Astrid suddenly remembered, and Hiccup's face paled as he jumped to his feet, cursing.

"Goddammit, I forgot…" He said, stuffing Toothless back over his shoulder. Jack widened his eyes in shock, "I'm going there now."

"Wait!" The white haired boy nearly shouted. "I-I'm going with you."

Hiccup gave a puzzled expression before allowing the other boy to join him. "Good luck!" Aster shouted over to them, before looking ahead again and meeting Astrid's amused face, deviously cheering at the two boys.

Jack walked next to Hiccup, shoulder by shoulder – nearly – as they made their way to White's office. "The Labyrinth showed she's on the third floor."

"Wait, you checked the Labyrinth?" Jack asked. Hiccup only looked away. "You didn't forget a thing."

Hiccup shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I wanted to avoid going there as much as I could, but I was hoping Astrid wouldn't make it so _subtle_." He mocked the last words, stating clear sarcasm. "Thanks for coming with me."

"You're welcome." Jack replied. "I can't say I'm not worried about this though." He added once they were on her corridor. The smaller boy gave a funny look.

"Afraid that she is going to mug me or something?" He joked, but it was clear he was nervous.

"No… I'm actually worried about you." Jack said, a bit too fast, but it was understandable enough for the other boy. Hiccup looked down for a little.

"I'm gonna be fine." He said, gathering as much confidence as he could. "If anything, she'll ask me to write some lines…"

"Yeah, we know how well that went last time." Jack said without thinking, and Hiccup's grin disappeared. He then met the green eyes, and his expression turned into a sorrow.

"I'm gonna be fine." Hiccup said, giving a cheerful look before taking Toothless from his shoulder. "You better take care of him for me." The small creature gave a weak grunt before resting on Jack's hands, already used to the taller boy. And with that, Hiccup turned on his heels and walked on to White's office.

As he knocked on the door twice, he held his breath, and there was a short moment before a weak " _come in_ " reached his ears.

White's office was a strange place. Deep brown colours covered the room, which had this strange feeling to it, that made Hiccup dizzy the moment he stepped in. A frame of the Minister hanged on the wall, and there was a strange smell that reminded Hiccup of rotten food. Agatha White was sitting behind her desk, seemingly busy as she ran her fingers through piles of parchment, scattered over her desk in an absolute mess.

"Good evening, mister Haddock." She said, still not looking up from him. "Please, sit."

Hiccup took the most careful steps towards the table, as if he was stepping on egg shells. He felt disgusted of that woman.

"I am going to ask you to see some of these, Mister Haddock." The witch tapped her wand on some pieces of parchment, and they floated through the air until they landed on Hiccup's lap. "Read them, obverse and ponder. And then you must agree."

Hiccup only looked at the parchment. "What if this come to a conclusion I don't agree?"

White looked out the window, somewhat thoughtful. "Just read it enough for the meaning to penetrate."

The green eyes lowered to the writings. _This could be worse_ , he thought. And then he started to read:

 _Good costumes and wizarding standards on danger: The risks non-conventional life styles could bring._

 _The inacceptable behaviour from those members of our community which support formally or unspoken any mix, integration or variation of ancient magical blood might bring great harm to the present status we have rightfully claimed as the most advanced species in the planet._

 _In the past hundred years, many wizards have become prominent through history despite their natural disadvantages. Muggle-borns wizards and witches, despite their obvious fight have clearly made their struggle, but one cannot, for as good as their intentions might be, break the natural order of the Survival of the Strongest._

"Are you serious about this?" Hiccup asked, incredulous. "What is this, a shaming on the muggle-borns?"

"Just read it for now." White replied without as much as raising her eyes to him. "Everything will be explained soon."

 _Wizards have been supportive and tolerant of foul behaviours, regarding not only the pro muggles actions but as well as countless of other mistakes, for wizards may not love wizards and witches may not love witches._

Hiccup's stomach sank.

 _Reparative wizarding for such cases have been an option ever since its inception in 1719, when Spencer Oaks, the famous alchemist, started his own form of resolving the repulsive tendencies of his son, Kimball Oaks. After discovering the perverse relationship of his son with a muggle farmer's son, Spencer developed his own way of coping with the tragedy._

 _With support from the former Minister of his time, Spencer was allowed to perform the cruciatus curse on his son, using the connection between pain and desire to covert into repulse. Although his son's mental state after the treatment was controversial, the results were satisfying enough – he no longer had any desire towards wizards of his same gender. Even today there is a special memorial at St. Mungus regarding Kimball's suicide, completely due to the remorse he felt for his horrific behaviour while not in good standings, before his treatment..._

"This is madness!" Hiccup said, falling back on his chair. "What am I supposed to do, explain why the boy killed himself?"

"On the contrary, mister Haddock." White gave a sick giggle, stepping near the boy. "I want you to write down Oaks bravery on assisting his father on such a painful treatment."

Hiccup could have jumped on that woman right there, and he fought back every single muscle on his body to prevent himself from doing so.

"He wasn't brave, he was tortured to madness!" He exclaimed. "He killed himself for what his father did to him."

"You are incorrect, Haddock." The woman said again, now walking back to behind her desk. "His father did it _for_ him." The boy had his mouth gaped open. "Knowing of the pain his son would endure, but a small price for what would certainly be a great advance!"

Hiccup only stared at the woman, hating every single inch of her.

"I'm not doing this." He said, and his voice was strangely strong.

"I beg your pardon?!" The witch's voice got so high pitched that soon enough only the bats could hear her.

"I said I'm not doing this." He stated. "This is wrong. This is dooming people for something they have no guilt of, whatsoever!"

"So you refuse to comply with your detention?!" The woman was horrified, leaning back on her chair in absolute disgust. "For as far as you are concerned, you little insolent, to fail detention is to deem yourself worthy of expulsion."

Hiccup got quiet, staring at the woman, and then at the paper still on his hands. "School regulation states that this is a safe space for all students." He said, trying to remain calm. "My best friend is a muggle born, my mother," he gulped, and he saw White's upper eyelid twitch. "…was a muggle born, and I am not sure if you've known, she was killed for it."

It was White's time to quiet down. "And I am sorry for your lost. This is exactly why this is so important. Poor woman should not have joined a community so beyond her capacities."

Hiccup was not simply silent then, he was mortified. Beyond disgust creeped on him, and he did not hear the door open, or the steps run into the office.

"What are you doing here, Minerva?" White exclaimed, and hearing her words, Hiccup looked back, finding Professor McGonagall standing behind him, a deadly expression on her face as it looked like she was about to spit fire on Agatha's table.

"I happen to be the Headmistress of the school, if rules weren't changed yet. Now, what do _you_ think you are doing?!" She was one volume beneath screaming. "Pushing medieval beliefs on my students?!"

White got to her feet, her mouth open in shock. "Oh, I must warn you, Minerva-"

"For _you_ it is _Professor McGonagall_." The Headmistress said, and Hiccup never felt bigger respect for his professor than he did now. "I still happen to be the greater authority here."

"As High Inquisitor I must warn you that…"

"No, _you_ must _be_ warned that your job is only meant to sign up those bloody reports to the minister, which is clearly unprepared to rule anyways. Haddock boy, you get out of here, we'll finish this in my room."

"You _dare_ to intervene on _my own_ detentions?"

"I _am_ the Headmistress." Minerva stated, and it seemed like her word would be final. She looked as fierce as a lion, and a chill ran through Hiccup's spine as he stepped away from White, gathering his backpack as he left.

"For now." He heard White mutter.


	18. Pernicious

**Chapter Eighteen:**

 **Pernicious**

"I don't understand; how did you know what she was doing?" Hiccup asked to McGonagall as they were out of Agatha's corridor.

"You may thank Mister Overland for it," She said, and Hiccup shot his neck upwards to gaze at the professor. "He came to my office as soon as he escorted you to detention." She finally looked down at him. "For Merlin's sake, boy, I told you not to trust anyone and suddenly there you are with more friends running after you than a snarfalump plant has tentacles." Although she was scolding him, there was a strange proud undertone to her voice. "Now, let's hurry, we'll meet him and your friends in there. No more questions, these walls can listen."

It was the second time in that year that Hiccup found himself in the Headmistress's office. But it was the first time he was not alone. Jack, Astrid and Aster rushed to him as soon as he walked through the door. Jack placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder awkwardly, and both boys blushed. Behind them, the fire crept near the wall, right beneath a big silver sword hanging on the wall. Professor Neville Longbottom stared at it, his hands on his waist as he stared at it. Further on the corner, Hiccup noticed Rubeus Hagrid, whom he visited earlier on that week, sitting over some cushions that nearly disappeared under his gigantic body.

"Very well, nice to see you are all gathered here." McGonagall closed the door with a flick of her wand, and suddenly the room felt much darker and also much more welcoming. "I've made sure to secure the tower with a silencing shield. As far as we know, the Ministry is concerned that whatever information circulates in this tower might be used against them, so it is highly crucial that we must all remain silent."

"Heccup?" Hagrid got up from his position and managed to stomp near the boy, his large hands lifting Hiccup's arms, looking for what could've been injuries. "What has that bloody woman done ter yeh?"

"No-nothing." Hiccup said, panting. "At least not physically."

"Oh, if only she did I'd not let her get away from that so easily." Infuriated, McGonagall said, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. "It's been a while since a woman have annoyed me so terribly."

"Let's not remember that, Professor." Professor Longbottom said, furrowing his eyebrows. "I still have some scars left from her. Right on your fifth year, am I right, Haddock? An obscurus, the dark mark and now even a new Umbridge. God, the fifth year must be as jinxed as the DADA class."

"There are more than fifth years on this school, I can guarantee that. And they're all in danger." McGonagall said. "I must sound like Sibilla right now… However safe Mister Haddock is now, White is certainly going after more decrees from the Minister to insert her wishes into the school." McGonagall was now walking near the fireplace. "Mister Haddock, I must ask of you, what exactly was your detention about?"

"She uh… wanted me to read some papers on…" He looked right at Aster, who was looking back to him, and his heart shattered at remembering what was written. "Anti Muggle manifests. She was shamming on muggleborns." Aster lowered his eyes, screwing his face as if he was in pain.

"Did she inflict anything on you?" The professor asked. Hiccup shook his head. "Any spell, potion, anything?"

"She only wanted me to write more about it, agreeing to what was written." Hiccup explained.

"Offensively?" The Headmistress asked, and Hiccup nodded in confirmation. "Very well…" There was a long pause. "I think it's safe to assume that she'll recur to the Ministry within no time. She has probably already written a new Proclamation by now. Revoking my rights, anything. She is definitely not happy with my intruding, and even though I thought there was going to be much more harm to mister Haddock, which gladly there is none, I assume she will try something again as soon as possible. With Percy Weasley taken away and the most absolute daft aurors guarding our gates… It is safe to assume that we're on our own. Until things get settled, I must ask the four of you to remain quiet as much as you can. No crossing with Agatha's path, do you understand me?" The four teens nodded. "She is a dangerous witch, no matter her disciplinary incapacities. Any attempt of her to harm you must be reported to me with no hesitation, and I hope it's clear that it means any sort of harm." Again, they nodded. "Very well, off to bed, all of you." The four teens made to leave, turning on their heels. "Oh, and Haddock?" Said boy stopped, looking back at the teacher. "If anyone ask, your detention with me was meant to clean all the portraits, am I clear?"

Hiccup nodded, a sly smile pulling from his cheek.

* * *

Jack and Hiccup were walking side by side that morning. Their shoulders and elbows constantly bumping, but they smirked to one another when it happened. This has been their routine for the past several months. Meeting at the Entrance Hall, breakfast with Astrid and Aster, and then walk out to their class – or Jack would walk Hiccup to his class first when they had separate lessons. Peeves chant was still hovering them whenever they saw the Poltergeist, until Jack learned how to use the stunning spell to push away the devious creature.

"He's a bloody moron, that's what he is." Jack saved his wand back in his robes. "Sometimes I wonder who the hell decided to bring him into the castle thinking it'd be a good idea."

"One of those life questions that will die unanswered." Hiccup replied with a shrug. "You really need to practice your stunning spell, though."

Jack cocked his eyebrows at that statement. _How dare Hiccup say that to me?_ He thought, but at the same time, he was amused. Then another thought popped in his head.

"Perhaps if I had a good teacher to help me out with that…" He implied, smirking. Hiccup looked back at him, also smirking.

"Oh well, if only I didn't have such a busy schedule…" He lied.

"What those detentions are taking their toll now?" Jack's smirk faded a bit as they turned on a corridor. "Seriously, could you teach me, though?"

"Sure." The boy replied. "You might end up needing it." He batted on Jack's shoulder as they entered Defence Against the Dark Arts Class.

There was a strange commotion when they got in, and Jack's heart sank. Agatha White was standing near the Professor's desk, a clipboard and a feather on her hands while she seemingly argued with Shaklebolt.

"…So you're telling me that, even after you so _bravely_ fought during Hogwarts' Battle over twenty years ago, you still consider yourself apt to teach?"

"I believe so, madam White, now would you mind allowing me to direct to my class?" The wizard said, and his voice was dry.

Hiccup noticed Jack still standing, staring at the scene, before he extended his hand to pull Jack on his seat by his wrist. They exchanged a look, and suddenly McGonagall's warning to remain quiet came to their minds.

"I see…" She scribbled down on her clipboard.

"Welcome everyone." He announced. "As you may have noticed, today we are keeping the company of our High Inquisitor during our class, as she wants to…"

"…To evaluate if the lessons that are being passed on to you is following the Ministry's standards and procedures. As you must know, according to the educational decree number, I must make sure that you are being presented to theoretical magic instead of…"

"Everyone open their books on page 235." Shaklebolt interrupted, and Hiccup swore he had never seen such a dark expression on his teacher's face. White only stared at the teacher, horrified of being interrupted on her talk.

Hiccup stared down at his book as the class continued. Every now and then, White would make a comment on Shaklebolt's class, nearly always on the most interesting part of the lecture – Which was one thing the students were not used to, for there weren't many lectures on DADA class. Jack took the opportunity to, every now and then, slip little notes while Shaklebolt spoke. Some of the notes were silly, like a stick drawing of a tall witch that resembled weirdly of McGonagall gesturing her wand to a fat and short looking witch - Hiccup assumed to be White -, making the latter collapse in a pile of ashes. Hiccup held his laughter, trying not to snort in the mid of the class while the very witch that the drawing was referring to was just standing a few meters away from them.

 _How about bringing Toothless to the Cove?_ One of Jack's notes said, and the smaller boy gulped. He wanted to bring Toothless to the outside so badly, the creature would often complain with its dragon-like screeches, but it was hard once every possible entrance was guarded with aurors.

 _We'd have to leave separately._ Hiccup wrote back.

 _If anyone asks… we're going to the owlery._ Was Jack's reply. Hiccup nodded, crushing the paper and silently casting a spell to it, that turned the paper black immediately. Jack was awed at the simplicity that Hiccup could use such applied spells in a loose manner. Made Jack envious, nearly, but not as much as it made him admire the other boy.

Jack would deny if you asked him, but while Hiccup focused on his books, he'd observe the small frame of the boy, the shape of his back, the way it would curl down before his lower back, how his cardigan would fold around his waist, but his trousers would neatly hug the boys' legs, especially when he would ignore the robes and capes to wear only the main clothes. A warm feeling went down Jack's stomach, and he gulped as he looked back to his book, trying to focus on casting hexes on boggarts.

"…Remind me again how is this permitted by the Ministry standards?" White's voice brought Jack back to class, and he saw her scolding look while she frowned at Quim's class.

"As you can see _clearly_ , professor," Quim Shaklebolt sounded as sharp as a knife as he spoke. "Everything taught here is exhaustively theoretical."

"As it _should_ be." There was a maniacal glim on the witch's eyes. "For you understand, that we deem these children too young to-"

The bell rang, and too suddenly everyone stood up, rushing to gather their books as they could not leave White's presence quickly enough.

Jack rushed up to Hiccup, who waited behind the door for Jack so they could walk together. Perhaps it was the rush, or they were just damn good friends, but Jack tried his luck as he swung his arm around Hiccup's shoulders as they walked, and the other boy felt his heart beats tighten, stronger, and allowed himself to lean back on the taller boy's chest.

"So, when?" Jack asked, and it took a while for Hiccup to remember they were planning an excursion to the Cove.

"Any free periods today?"

"Only after Charms." Jack answered, and Hiccup nodded before twisting his features in a frown.

"No, wait… Jack, after Charms we both have Divination at the same time today, right before Dinner!" He said in deep thinking.

"Not if we don't show up." Jack winked, and slowly Hiccup understood what he meant, about to scold him when Jack kept going. "Come on, Hic, you can barely take her class without rolling your eyes anyways."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we should skip classes!" Hiccup whispered the last words. "Besides, she'll notice if we're missing."

Jack chuckled. "No she won't. If anything she'll be glad she doesn't have to deal with your mockery." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Remember when she said you were about to suffer _great consequences_ for something you did when the moon was in Jupiter or whatever."

Hiccup laughed. "And I said I was probably already paying for it on that instant, I remember." The pale hands squeezed the boy's shoulders once. "Still, I'm not sure about it. I mean, we could-ACK"

It was as if the air pushed their shoulders apart. Hiccup was nearly thrown to the floor by the curse, while Jack was slammed towards the wall. Right behind then, Professor White stood, her wand lowering behind her robes as she proudly smiled, like she had just won an award for good services.

"Moral impurity and proximity must _not_ be encouraged." She said, in her devious thin voice. "Five points from each of your houses, and I must warn you that any new attempts of contact will lead to _detention._ "

Jack and Hiccup stared as she gave a final giggle, turning on her heels and walking away in a straight line while everyone's eyes scanned her with disgusted looks.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked, checking Hiccup for any injuries. The boy only waved his head, his cheeks a burning shade of scarlet. Strange looks were given to them, and as they stepped closer, a Slytherin girl with a hurricane of red hair walked up to them, her blue eyes wide in alert as she whispered in a thick accent:

"Yeh should find ah good hidin' place." She looked back to check if people were listening. "As far as Ah know, White has her eyes on yeh, Haddock."

"Thanks, Mer." Jack answered. "I heard you caught detention at her class."

"Yeah, Ah've yelled at her for tryin' to hex the creatures, and she gave me detention." You could feel the anger from the girl's voice. "Bloody woman should be put ter be cursed, that's what should happen."

"Yeah, I didn't really get in good terms with her on my class." Hiccup said.

"So Ah've heard. Brave thin' you did, though. Stepping up to that woman. Next time we'll make her pay for it." She announced, and turning on her heels, she left the two boys, turning on a different corridor.

"How do you know her?" Hiccup asked.

"We both got detention a few years ago." Jack said simply. "She knew how to escape Filch's corridor by hexing his cat. She's a wild one, that girl."

"I didn't know Gryffindor and Slytherin got together." Hiccup smirked, and Jack chuckled.

"We can assume that the three of us don't go for that rule." Jack replied, again slipping his arm around Hiccup's shoulders, with an alert look on his face for any comebacks from the horrible teacher, and they both stomped out to their next class.

* * *

When Hiccup and Jack sneaked out to the grounds that evening, they both hid their laughter at the silly but effective way they managed to trick two trained aurors into letting them out. Once in the woods, they walked for what felt like hours until they reached the Cove, where Hiccup pulled Toothless out of his pocket and casted his spell on the dragon, restoring the creature's original size. "I never get tired of seeing this spell." Jack said in awe.

"Me neither," Hiccup agreed. It was a beautiful magic, indeed.

Toothless started to jump around the Cove, flying towards the water and sinking its head into it, presumably trying to catch a fish, Hiccup thought. And then settled for curling itself beneath a pine tree, his wing falling over his eyes as he immediately fell asleep. Jack snorted at the scene. Hiccup walked towards the water, bending on his knees as he took it with his hands, drinking from the pond.

"So," Jack started, taking out his robes and throwing them over a big rock that stood next to them. He pulled his wand out his vests. "How are we going to do this?"

Hiccup snorted. "I'm not going to be your training target, to begin with." He said. "So point that wand somewhere else."

Jack laughed. "Whatever you say, bossy."

Both boys stood next to a stone that was at least seven feet high. Hiccup pulled out his wand, and Jack mimicked the way he held it, steading it with his thumb. "Try not to jerk it everywhere when you cast it." Hiccup said.

"Okay," Jack agreed, and copied the movements Hiccup did, the soft flick and accurate swing that preceded the spell.

"Try this, _expulso!_ " The jolt of light that erupted from Hiccup's wand blasted against the stone, leaving a dark sulk in the rock.

Toothless would raise his tail to look, staring at the two boys as they casted their magic against the rock. Weirdly enough, the dragon _rolled its eyes_ , before letting his tail fall back over his head.

And so they began. Spell after spell, Hiccup would take the lead, and Jack would follow, closely mimicking every single movement the boy did. Jack was getting the way of it, and Hiccup noticed by the way the white-haired boy seemed to dance with his wand, a flick turning into a precise swing, the spells blossoming from faint sparks to light flecks, and he knew that the boy had talent. They would try new spells, and Jack got them even faster, from stunning to repulsing and reducing their targets to ashes. The sun would set lower in the sky until they were immerse in red and gold light. At one spell, Hiccup had to stop himself from laughing at Jack's poor attempt to perform a disarming charm, which Jack somehow managed to make his own wand flick away from his hand, falling on the floor and burst the grass in green flames.

"I'm pathetic…" Jack whispered.

"Not there yet." Hiccup smirked, grabbing the boy's wand and returning it. "You're just not aiming at a real target, exactly."

"What do you want me to do, disarm you?" Jack asked, slightly annoyed.

"Well, it's not real disarming if I allow you." The boy shrugged, and there was a real caring tone on his voice. "Come on, I promised I'd teach you."

Jack's blue eyes met greens again, and they just stared for a moment before Hiccup walked up to the other boy, grabbed his arms and managed Jack into an offensive position. Then he placed himself right on his aim.

"Just as I taught you, don't jerk your wand everywhere and focus on me." He said simply, holding his wand.

Jack took a deep breath, his eyes piercing through Hiccup's as he imagined exactly what he was aiming for. His eyes travelled down all the way to the boys hands, and he has let himself admire how freckled they were. He casted the spell, " _Expelliarmus!_ "

Perhaps there was a meaning to the spell. The caster and the _casted_ , the gentleness, for Hiccup's wand gracefully flew from his hands as if warm fingers had courted his hand to release it, and that's how Hiccup's wand flew all the distance between the two boys, landing on Jack's open hand.

"You got it!" Hiccup said, a proud smiling escaping him for a few seconds. Jack smiled back at him. "Think we could try some duelling, perhaps…?"

"Absolutely not." Jack replied, laughing. "No need for humiliation tonight, thank you very much." He said, and now Hiccup laughed.

Jack placed the wand back on Hiccup's hand, and their skin lingered for a bit, warmth crossing through their fingers. "Wasn't there a way to actually rob someone's wand?" Jack asked.

Hiccup gulped, suddenly unable to look at Jack in the eye. He nodded. "Yes, if you steal it from someone, it might end up changing its loyalty to you."

"That'd be brilliant if one of us managed it."

Hiccup's skin burned red. "Yeah, about that…"

Jack's skin fell pale. "Oh no, you don't tell me…"

"Yep."

There was a silent moment.

"You didn't…?"

"I did." Hiccup smiled sheepishly.

"Who?" Jack wondered, stunned.

"Stonem tried to hex me on the train home last month." Hiccup replied simply, a bit ashamed. "I disarmed him, and his wand just changed to me in an instant." He said. "It's mine now. He doesn't even know-"

"He tried to hex you?!" Admiration gave way to anger, and suddenly Hiccup was not sure if Jack was just being overly dramatic. "That little-"

"He didn't even get to do anything, I disarmed him before he could… and I had Aster." Hiccup tried to smile, but it only seemed to fail, considering Jack never stopped talking.

"He shouldn't have tried anything, not after you-ASTER?" Jack suddenly screamed, and on the distance, Toothless raised his head to look at the two boys, now yelling at the Cove. "So that idiot was there to defend the damsel in distress?"

"What damsel?! Don't call him that!" Hiccup shook as he lost clue whether Jack was messing with him or not.

"I do call him that, he knew… And you…" The boy neared breathlessness. Near them, Toothless approached carefully, acid green eyes glued on Jack as he watched for Hiccup. "I mean, why would he even need to get close, it's not like you needed anyone to stand up to you…"

"What's wrong with you? Don't say that!" Hiccup tried, a fearful tear escaping his eye. "He was just helping me… He was just defending himself too…"

"I bet he needed, Stonem is better defend himself…" a strange pulse seemed to shake Jack from inside his chest, his face screwed in pain and the image got Hiccup terrified. "I can't breathe…"

"Jack, calm down-!"

"I can't breathe," Jack was panting, hard, and Hiccup teared up.

"Jack…?"

The voice that left his throat was not Jack's, but something sinister, darker, a hundred octaves lower: "Get away from here."

Jack was now shaking, and Hiccup felt true fear of how the boy started trembling in front of him, pain wrenching over his features as something sinister shook the boy's body. A horrific sight. The low, resonating growl erupted from Toothless throat, and the dragon stepped closer to its boy. _He told me to leave._ Hiccup thought. _I have to leave._

Call it stupidity or bravery when Hiccup jumped forward, his arms lacing Jack around his shoulders, and pulled the boy into him, both boys starting to shake in fear. Hiccup fearing Jack, and Jack suddenly fearing himself. "Jack, just please... Calm down," he said, and when Jack looked up to him, his heart jumped. Jack's eyes were fiery red. Glowing, like shining fire lit against the dark sky. The taller boy contorted against the strange embrace, paining. " _Leave_ …" He grunted, but his voice echoed in an unnatural way, as if spoken by a monster.

Hiccup grabbed Jack's face with his hands then, and again spooked himself as miniscule black dots pulsed beneath his skin, raging violently inside the pale boy. Hiccup teared up, now unsure whether he should had left or stayed. In the mid of all the confusion, the very thing Hiccup noticed was this scent, this strong and warm scent that emanated from Jack, something that reminded him of pine woods mixed with his cologne, and that was enough to keep him there, locked on the tight embrace.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, the pulsing seemed to subdue, and when Hiccup felt the arms wrap back around his middle, both boys sank to the floor, panting heavily as now Jack pulled Hiccup tighter into the hug, and the other boy now only allowed, moving his arms higher so they circled Jack's neck, setting himself between Jack's arms and legs. And that is how they were for several minutes, Hiccup's fingers daring to go up their way into the white hair, where they tangled on the thin threads on the top of the boy's head, pulling him into his chest, where Jack's face rested, exhausted. Finally, Jack's grip on Hiccup's waist loosened, Jack looked in pain, as if something had just devoured him on the inside.

"I don't want to go just yet." Jack whispered, his voice weak and broken, but at least it was his voice again.

"Then don't." Hiccup replied, squeezing his eyes shut, savouring that precious moment. _He can never know what this means to me_ , Hiccup thought, and he took that embrace as a gift, a stolen jewelry he could never dare to wear twice.

Eventually, Jack untangled himself from Hiccup, slowly getting to his feet before he offered his hand to Hiccup, who still stared at him from his position on the ground.

"What was that?" He whispered, his voice rasping like ripping paper.

"It's… It's gettin' late." Jack didn't reply, and Hiccup made no further questions, taking his hand carefully, and gathered himself up as well. Summoning Toothless and silently casting the spell, Toothless was once again a model-scaled dragon, which Hiccup gingerly placed inside his vests.

The walk back through the Forest was slow, Hiccup's mind buzzing with a hundred questions. What was all that about? Whatever happened to Jack that made the boy so unstable all the sudden? What magic was that? His mind roared with questions, until he felt Jack's warm hand grabbing his own. He was still shaking. He wanted to make those questions so badly, to ask Jack and force the boy to give him the answers, but he stayed silent. All the way as they neared the entrance to the castle, the first stars now shining over the blue and purple shades of the nightfall. The two aurors nearly fell asleep where they were supposed to guard the entrances, and the two boys just slipped into the castle as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Two teenagers met them as they were just climbing up the first steps of the marble staircase. Astrid's blonde hair messed Hiccup's vision as they nearly crashed against the other.

"Jack! Hiccup!" She exclaimed, and Hiccup knew she was about to yell-"Where have you two been?!"

But neither of the boys felt like chatting much, and Jack's deep and broken voice said first. "Around."

The dark tone didn't seem to faze Astrid at all. If anything, the girl grabbed both boys by their elbows and in spite of their protests, dragged them all the way to the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Shush, I think White's about to make an announcement." Astrid said. "It's dinner time, anyways, and you guys haven't eaten yet."

"Astrid…" Hiccup started, but right next to him, Aster intervened.

"Just go alon', mate." The serious tone he said that made Hiccup breathe in, accepting the defeat. For lack of a smooth settling, he was nearly thrown over Ravenclaw's table, and he felt Jack's sad eyes headed to him as he was forced to walk away from the other boy. Right now, he wasn't sure if he was relieved or sad for leaving Jack's company.

By the corner of his eyes, he observed his three friends walk up to the Gryffindor table, taking their seats right before the Hall's doors closed, and Agatha White stood up from her seat, walking towards the students as they only stared at her, nearly digging holes with their eyes.

"Good evening, everyone." White said, her voice as childish and obnoxious as ever. Inside Hiccup's chest pocket, Toothless grunted. "It has come to my knowledge that there has been certain… _unrest_ among the students of this school." She took her time to pace around as she talked. "Many of you seem unwilling to submit and improve your skills as functioning pieces of this great mechanism that is, after all, the school itself. But you no longer need to worry," Everyone's eyes widened, expecting for her resignation or at least one good new. "I have spoken to our minister, and I have been granted full authorization to perform required supervising, and therefore, I will now begin an intensive program to restore the ethical costumes and ensure a safe place where students will now be able to live accordingly to recommended standards and beliefs imposed to us years ago, and they will, I'm sure: purge this school from any misfit or _unworthy…_ from disturbing the peace.


	19. Blood

**Chapter Nineteen:**

 **Blood**

"That filthy gargoyle!" Astrid nearly screamed. Jack and Aster were stump on the red couches in front of the fireplace. "She's barely allowing us to use magic anymore, you've seen what happened to Azel Helen the other day when she tried to restore the duel club… she's taking over the entire school!"

 _"…_ _.About the disappearances, the Minister for Magic has declared that disappearances concerning wizards are nothing more than just schemes from opposition to disvalue the power of the Ministry, and to refuse work is a sham to the wizard's good honour and should lead to immediate expulsion from our Wizarding Community…"_

"They're trying to purge society, all over again." Jack said, staring at the radio. He looked back at Aster. "How long until White starts picking on you?"

"Not long." Aster said, resting his forearm over his eyes. "It won' take long until all the _mudbloods_ have to submit themselves…"

"Don't talk like that!" Astrid said, horrified of the slur the boy used against himself. "It's not going to happen-"

"Of course it will, Astrid!" Aster's voice raised, and the girl went shut. "I mean, not even Hiccup who is pure-blood is gettin' an easy time, how lon' do you think it'll take until she's after people like me?"

The boy stared at his two friends with a deadly expression before excusing himself to his bedroom.

"Just give him some time, Astrid, he'll come around." Jack said, but he wasn't so sure himself.

"Where were you and Hiccup today?" Astrid asked, still standing up near the window.

"Just hanging out."

"Oh, bollocks, we all saw your face when you guys came back." Astrid waved her hand in an annoyed gesture, and Jack took a deep breath. "What was that all about?"

"Could we please not talk about it?"

"Was it something he did?" She ignored it. "Because if he did…"

"For Merlin's beard, Astrid, no!" Jack nearly yelled. "It has nothin' to do with him. You," And he looked at the girl's blue eyes, and he felt the urge to scream at her face. So he clenched his fists again. "Look, whatever, I'm just going to bed…" He stood up, shaking his head sideways as if dispersing smoke from inside his skull. "Night, Astrid," He dismissed, retreating himself after Aster. The girl looked down, defeated.

#

The wizards gathered at night. Dressed from toes to shoulders in black capes, standing in a circle in the open field. Around them, nothing but mountains, the dark sky above them, the angry clouds covering the stars, and snow poured over their heads. A seventh wizard appeared, covered to his head with a black hood, behind him a trail of black and red smoke that seemed to erupt from his very skin.

He wielded his wand, and waved it to the very centre of their circle, where a fire started, perhaps only two foot tall, but that enlightened most of their faces with a creepy distortion. His face was nearly grey, as if life had been extracted from it.

"Good evening, brothers." He had this aura around him, this strange energy that made all the other wizards bow to him. "I'm skipping the formalities of letting us know of the good news, for I brought none. First, I need to know our advances." The greyish looking wizard pointed to the man in front of him. "Gerbier, if you may start…."

"Yes, sir." Gerbier said, and as his name suggested, he had a heavy French accent. "I have been informed that the Department of Wizarding Security are tracking the Obscurus in the south of the country. They think you are running to Europe this very evening."

"That's not enough." The Obscurus said. "They could still be roaming around the country after us. Gentlemen, I hope you understand the luck we have. Most of the Wizarding Community believed Obscurials to be extinct, and so far, _I_ am the only one who has been seen, and by my own will, I may add." There was a collective grim forming through the Seven. "However, our time of hiding is coming to an end. Soon enough, we will have to make a stand."

There were actual cheers now, and the fire seemed to rise, and burn brighter.

"I have the Death Eater's loyalty." The Obscurus spoke, but there was no affection regarding the group. "They believe I'm aiming for their goal, to… purge the bloodlines," The six other Obscurials laughed as he said. "What a waste of magic… That's not what fate asks from us, now." He took a step forward, nearing the fire. "Out ancestors have made the way for us generation years ago. They've had their dawn as the world had its twilight. And now it's our time."

"None of us asked for this life. None of us asked to be curse. But all of us have accepted our fate. We have all embraced the task that only we can achieve. I have also realised the sudden act of the former Order of the Phoenix. They're on the move, which means someone is being… careless."

His piercing blue eyes wandered around the field, staring at every wizard that surrounded him. "Gothel," The witch with long black hair stepped backwards. But the dark wizard did not walk up to her. "Mor'du, my fiercest one." The big wizard with black vests stared by the corner of his eyes. "Gerbier… MacNair… Bloodvist…" And then he stopped, right before standing in front of the sixth wizard. "All of you have been loyal and useful to this assembly. All… but you, Richard."

The tall wizard with deep brown hair gulped. He had a thin beard around his jaw and piercing blue eyes, but the bags around it announced how tired, if not exhausted he was. "Sir?" He spoke with a thin frail voice.

"Every attempt to reach for the last Obscurial has been foiled, and I suspect we both know very well why."

The wizard gulped. "Bu-but sir?" He was shaking. "I thought we could no longer look for new Obscurials, we have already have formed the Order of the Seven…"

"And indeed we have." The Obscurus said, his eyes starting to glow. "But as it may seem… One of us has decided to diverge from fate..."

"Sir-?" The wizard named Richard tried, but the leader's eyes kept glowing, increasingly brighter.

"And your betrayal has cost the lost of the Ministry's support. Tell me, Richard… How is your son?"

There was a moment of silence when you could hear a snowflake falling on the ground. "You're not having him." He said. "You're not doing a thing to him, heave him alone!"

"I don't have to do anything; in fact, I do not need to move a single muscle. The boy is coming to us when the time comes." The Obscurus replied, drily. "He'll replace you, destiny will take its course and we'll continue from where you ended."

It was when it happened. A scream, a sharp eruption of red and black flames that came out from the Obscurus chest. The energy that exploded from the two wizards was brutal, and even though the very darkness within Richard fought back, it was weak compared to the one that burst from the leader.

The smaller Obscurial screamed in pain, his eyes now glowing as he exploded, particles of his being floating around the field, lost in between fire and snow.


	20. Fire

**Chapter Twenty:**

 **Fire**

Jack woke up with Hiccup's name on his lips. He knew he loved the other boy, but in that particular day, the warm feeling bolted across his chest, and even though it hurt, it felt sweet. _Love is a good feeling to hold on to_ , he thought. He closed his eyes again, and just focused on how a few days ago, when the shadows screamed inside him again, how before he could run from Hiccup, the boy held him close. Just hugging him and trapping Jack on that embrace. Jack never commented on it, but he never forgot the feeling. The warmth, and above all, the scent. Hiccup smelled like grapes and woods. There was the smell of shampoo that emanated from his auburn hair, but the strongest came from the skin at the boy's chest and neck, where Jack buried his nose in the crook and just allowed himself to flavour that moment.

Three taps threw him out of his thoughts.

"You better wake up, showpony." Aster spoke. "Everyone's leavin' today."

"I'm not goin'" Jack grunted, trying to fall back asleep, and he was nearly succeeding when he felt a jet of cold water splashing on his face. "ACK" He yelled, shaking himself to get rid of the coldness. "What was that for?!"

Aster laughed. "You ge' ticked off too easily." He said, shaking his wand to get it rid of the water. "Come on, we'll all be stayin'. Me, Astrid, and _Hiccup…_ " He slowed down the last name, and a creepy smirk crept up his lips.

"Ugh, piss off," Jack frowned, getting up and walking up to his trunk.

"You say that, but no point in hidin' the obvious."

"And what's obvious, may I ask?" Jack looked annoyed.

"You like him." Aster said. Hearing this didn't even bother Jack anymore. He knew exactly how he couldn't hide it from Aster anymore. "It's like… ridiculously obvious by now."

"Yeah, I know." Jack answered, sorting his clothes. "But it's stupid just the same."

"What would give you that idea?" Aster asked, and his eyebrows were cocked in confusion.

"I mean, he doesn't even like me." Jack kept trying to get his damp head through the hole of his shirt. "We're boys, and I doubt Hiccup is gay in the first place."

"Have you tried askin'im?" He said, smugly.

"One does not ask this kind of thing, Aster." Jack smirked, forgetting how the other boy had just woken him up. "Besides, he'd probably just mock at me. We'd never talk again. I rather keep things as they are."

"How can you be so sure?" Aster said. "I hate to bring you the truth, but ever considered that he may like you too?"

Jack froze. The idea of Hiccup ever liking him back sounded simply ridiculous. Okay, they were good friends, if not best friends by this point, and they would hug sometimes and all, but the idea of Hiccup being gay for Jack or returning his feelings was too good to be true. Things were never that good for Jackson Overland, he knew that, and therefore it could not be true.

"It just won't happen, Aster." Jack said, with finality. "Let's get going, I'm starving."

The Great Hall was buzzing with students trying to get their last free meal before taking the Hogwarts Express back to London. Christmas was only a few days away, but no one seemed to be particularly cheering. When Jack saw Astrid, his heart sank. The girl had to stay for this Holiday. Her parents never came home.

Hiccup had his arms locked with the girl's, and they seemed to support each other. Both wearing dark jeans and muggle clothing, you would never believe it they would be this close if you saw how Astrid used to think of the boy.

"Hey," Hiccup said, quietly.

"Hey." Jack replied. "Are we going to do something today?"

"I was thinkin' of goin' to the Quiddditch Field later?" Aster suggested, and Astrid nodded, giving a sad smile.

After breakfast, the four teens made their way through the nearly desert castle. The aurors seemed happier at the entrances that day. Perhaps the lack of people to pay attention seemed to cheer them up.

Jack grabbed the four broomsticks from the Quidditch arsenal supply. It had been a while since he would not mount a broom in Hogwarts. Hiccup reached for his pocket, releasing the small Toothless that flew freely around them as they lifted from the ground, mounted in their brooms. They divided in two groups, Jack with Astrid, and Aster with Hiccup. Mostly throwing the Quaffle from one side to the other. Astrid could fly effortlessly on a broomstick, and Hiccup was incredibly good, so they were well balanced.

Eventually Quidditch turned into a tag game, were Aster became the chaser. It was a glorious day, the four teens flying and eventually laughing whenever someone would be caught, and then started chasing the others. Even with the snow, the sunlight glimmered over them, bathing the day in gold and red colours. Jack laughed as Astrid caught Aster, nearly throwing him off his broom, and while the white haired boy laughed, Hiccup looked up at him. His hair seemed to glow, the strands spiked up by the wind, and his pearl white smile just seemed too beautiful. Hiccup took a mental picture, just savouring that moment, until the blue eyes locked on his, still smiling. His very eyes were smiling.

"Are we interrupting something?" Aster screamed from where he was floating. The scene of the two boys lost in one another was simply too obvious for no one else to look at.

Hiccup shook his head, untangling himself from that moment, before racing back to chase Astrid once Aster tagged him. Jack was blushing furiously, although he was still smiling as he observed Hiccup cross the field after the blonde girl. Aster flew up next to him, stopping shoulder by shoulder.

"Why don't you tell him?" The boy spoke. Hiccup and Astrid were far enough not to listen, laughing their heads off as they flew. "He _likes_ you." He said, and this sudden warmth filled Jack's chest. "And you like him too."

Jack's eyes still chased Hiccup, the reddish-brown hair pulled up behind by the wind as he flew in full speed. "I love him, Aster." Jack said, and he realised it was the first time he acknowledged that to anyone. Perhaps even to himself.

Aster smiled. He felt proud of Jack, if the word was fitting. "Just let me know when you do it." He said, before tapping Jack on his shoulder. Then he flew away, laughing into a glorious morning.

#

The holidays went as holidays should be: a rush of laughter and joy. No unwanted memories rose back to surface for more than they should. The four teens spent their days doing exactly as they pleased, and they did not at all bother with White's presence.

When Hiccup came down the marble staircase to the Great Hall, everything felt out of place. He didn't notice the thousands of enlightened candles or the choirs of the ghosts that wished _Merry Christmas_ to whoever they met. Astrid, Jack and Aster were already on their table, casually chatting while Hiccup approached.

"Hey, Hiccup." Aster said, his face more cheering than usual. "Merry Christmas." He announced, raising his hand to shake Hiccup's.

"Merry Christmas you too." The boy said, squeezing Aster's before sitting right next to Astrid, who gave him a quick hug over one shoulder. "How are you?" He asked the girl.

"I'm doing okay." She said, but her voice seemed deeper than usual. "All things considered."

"It's going to be alright." Jack said from his seat, and the girl nodded. "Let's not pity ourselves too much, it's Christmas!" He cheered, throwing a small piece of bread towards Hiccup's face, which the boy retaliated with one of his waffles.

"Have you guys gotten anything?" Hiccup asked.

"Our presents were in our common room." Aster replied, taking a sip from his cup. "Mom sent me 'dis," He raised a small snow globe with what seemed to be a plastic farm inside. "She has a thing for snow globes, my mom."

"I found it cool." Hiccup said with a small grin. "My dad sent me more books." He cocked his brows.

"Nerd." Jack said behind his cup, but also smiling.

"Don't be so pouty." Astrid announced. "We both know we're probably not getting anything from out there this year."

"Well, I never get anything from anyone." Jack commented, and even through his cheerful grim, Hiccup felt a sharp pain crossing his chest. Then Jack smirked. "I'm kinda used to it."

"Well, I sent you all presents." Hiccup said, and Astrid smiled. "How did you like it?" He asked the girl. He had given her a silver chain that she had wrapped up around her wrists.

"I love it, thank you." She said, and there was real emotion on her voice.

"Thanks for the sweets, Hiccup." Aster spoke. "Too bad I have Jack as a roommate, I'm gonna gave to hide'em away from'im."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Jack complained, and Hiccup laughed at the silliness. "Come on, we've got an entire day to spend and I don't plan on wasting it here." The boy said, jumping to his feet as he stuffed his mouth with a toast, nearly running out to the snowy grounds.

Christmas was the most pleasant day ever, in Hiccup's mind. The four teens would sneak outside and play snowball wars, Jack teaming up with Aster against Hiccup and Astrid – and eventually lose to Astrid's fierce arm. The laughter would break out in the snowy fields, and while Aster still stuck by gathering snow with his bare hands, Hiccup waved his wand, charming the snow into perfect spheres before casting them to chase the other teens one by one. "Not fair!" Jack would yell, and Hiccup would laugh it off. It was a perfect moment, the auspicious smell of snow and pinewoods as the four friends would laugh through their holiday, any worries forgotten for at least that _little_ while. It was all so precious. And it was just enough.

At night, while Astrid and Aster would excuse themselves to the Gryffindor Common Room, Jack waited a little longer with Hiccup. "I'll catch you guys in a bit." He said, and Astrid nodded before turning on her heels.

"I don't really want the day the end." Jack said, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Me neither." Hiccup answered, shrugging. "I was actually considering to ignore curfew."

"How rebellious of you." Jack commented with an amused expression. "We still have a few minutes. Want to go for a walk?" And he offered his arm, which Hiccup took a second glance before chaining with his elbow.

"I'd love to."

The seventh floor was the place they went most often, and Hiccup leaned against their window when they finally stopped. "I thought Astrid wouldn't be as cool as she was today."

"What you mean?" Jack asked.

"You know, with her parents and all…" Hiccup looked down.

"Oh, right," He commented. "Yeah, she seemed alright."

"I haven't given you your present yet." Hiccup nearly spilled the words. "I didn't really know how to give you."

"What is it?" Jack asked, sounding suddenly excited.

Hiccup's hand went up to his coat, bringing back a small black string with a simple bronze circle tied to it. His hands brushed Jack's as he gave it to him, and the boy inspected it closely, realising what it was. Moon craters were sculpted in the circle, and it seemed to darken into nearly complete blackness on one edge, as if shared right in the middle. The two sides of the same thing. "Do you like it?" Hiccup asked.

Jack suddenly put the necklace back on Hiccup's hands, and the boy shortly look confused before the taller teen bent himself lower, still looking at Hiccup with his icy blue eyes, smirking. Smiling back, Hiccup placed the string around the boy's head, gingerly putting the necklace on Jack. "I'm taking that as a yes." He chuckled.

"It's a definite yes." Jack replied, pulling Hiccup in for a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Hiccup said, hugging Jack back promptly, and smiling a bit, before realising the other boy was not letting go. And apparently, neither was he for both boys kept stuck on that hug for what felt like minutes.

"Sorry I didn't get you anything," Jack said lowly to Hiccup's ears. "I didn't have much chance to sneak out to Hogsmead this month."

"It's okay." Hiccup said. In reality, Hiccup didn't buy the necklace, he had made it himself, but he didn't care about not getting a present from Jack. After a while they stepped away, both boys blushing to their ears. "Merry Christmas, Jack."

As if on cue, the boy looked up just then, noticing the all too familiar green branches with small white berries hung above them. "You gotta be kidding me, right?" He said, uneasy, fearing to look down – until he saw Hiccup's face again. There was that mysterious smirk again, eyebrows screwed in amusement and questioning.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to." He replied simply, and the boy surprised himself with what he had just said. Jack just remained quiet, too stunned to say anything else. "Unless you do want to…" He lingered to say as Jack remained with a shocked expression, quickly going back to active.

"No, I mean…" Jack rushed to explain himself.

"So you don't want to." Hiccup stated simply, the smirk still present.

"I do, I…" Jack got tangled in the mess this situation had turned to, and his heart stopped at the things he was saying without thinking. Damn you, Hiccup. "I mean, do you?"

He looked at the freckled boy, who only chuckled to himself, just enough awkwardly, just enough confidently. Damn you, Hiccup, indeed. Before the boy could embarrass himself any further, Hiccup leaned in, making the move himself. Jack's heart stirred, anticipation exploding in his stomach as the weightless feeling took over. Hiccup was going to kiss him, he was leaning in to him, lips pursed, the freckles on his cheeks so close…

Hiccup landed the kiss on his cheek. And just as fast as it happened, it was over, he pulled away, smiling at the scene of a flustered Jackson Overland. "It's just me, mate. No one's even looking." He laughed.

And just like that, he walked away, leaving behind a terribly frustrated and stunned Jack. "Ain't you coming?" He called as the boy remained unmovable.

#

The very next day, the four teenagers fuelled their packs with HoneyDukes' snacks, dressing in thick winter cloths and ventured to the Black Lake. The ice covered the surface of the water like smooth dark glass. Jack and Aster skated happily, aiming harmless _tarantalegro_ jinxes on each other – Jack's legs were cast dancing in a weird twisted motion that oddly resembled Hiccup of a graceless deer. From a rock at the margin of the lake, Astrid and Hiccup watched the other two boys fooled on the ice, their hands holding steaming mugs of tea.

"When are you telling him?" Astrid whispered, somewhat breaking the tension. Hiccup shrunk on his seat.

"Probably never." He replied, puffing his cheeks. "Although I nearly kissed him last night."

Astrid's neck snapped when she turned at him, the most surprised smile on her face. "You're kidding." She teased, and Hiccup didn't even bother to look at her, his eyes glued to the snowy forest ahead of them. "How did that go?"

"Well, the typical got stuck under the mistletoe. He got nervous, so I decided to see if it lead anywhere."

"And?" It was one the rare real smiles the girl gave lately.

"It was just a kiss to his cheek. Nothing much." He said simply.

"How did he react?" Astrid asked, still curious. The boy shrugged.

"He just stood there like a scared daft rabbit." He spat, and it took a moment before the two friends started laughing, loudly. "It was quite comical." He sipped from his mug of steaming tea.

"Jack can be quite daft sometimes." She mentioned. "But I'm surprised you actually made a move yourself." She nudged Hiccup's shoulders, and the boy smirked.

"I just figured, what harm could it make anyways…" He trailed off in thoughts. "But again I didn't make anything too clear."

"You do well." She concluded. "Live a little."

It was 31st of December. That night Jack left his dormitory silently, sneaking out to the corridors, dodging from whomever ghost he found until he met Hiccup. The boy quickly taught him how to perform _Arresto Momento_ , and through Jack's fear and excitement won as they jumped, without screaming as the spell held them before they crashed against the ground.

Sneaking into the Forest at night was worthy of expulsion, but so was most of whatever the boys did nowadays. As they sped up in the woods, they heard the faint sound of centaurs at distance. Silently, the boys sped up the well-known way to the Cove, reaching the stone entrance and them releasing Toothless from Hiccup's pocket. Jack lightened up the Cove with a flick of his wand, releasing the bright focus of light to float away over the pond.

" _Essentio!_ " Jack casted the spell, and Toothless grew.

"Come on, I've been wanting to show you this for a long time!" Hiccup said, grabbing Jack by his hand – the butterflies in Jack's stomach went wild. Hiccup pulled the boy until they were standing next to Toothless, who gave a loud purr as he petted the dragon. "Go on, hop up!" Hiccup said, and Jack's face paled.

"What?" Jack nearly stuttered. "No, wait up…"

"Just go," Hiccup rolled his eyes before kicking himself up at Toothless back, and the dragon seemingly paid him no mind, if anything it widened its large green eyes to check out Hiccup's legs around his large torso. "I've been practicing this when you couldn't come along," He admitted, a bit ashamed of not including Jack on those trips.

"Merlin's beard…" Jack stammered. "You do realise this is actually insane, right?" He tried forcing a nervous smile, but Hiccup replied with a real grim.

"Yeah," He nodded, his hand rubbing Toothless scales.

Jack's eyes focused back on the fire breathing creature in front of him, taking a deep breath before pulling himself upwards, gingerly not to disturb Toothless. "Oh man…" he shook his head as he settled himself behind Hiccup, who amusedly looked at him.

"Not that hard, was it?" He said, and Jack rolled his eyes at the insanity of it. "Alright, hold on tight."

"Hold on to wha-?!"

"Let's go, Toothless!" Hiccup announced, and the dragon bent down once before opening its wings in a way both graceful and intimidating, and then they were catapulted towards the sky, Jack's arms wrapped around Hiccup's waist, yelling as they were shot upwards.

There was this unexplainable feeling about flying. How this weightless sensation erased any and every thought from your mind. How your body seemed to lose itself in space. Icy cold wind would cut through their bodies, and horrible shivers shook up both boys spines. Jack screamed, but the roaring wind seemed to twist the sound, and Hiccup laughed at the foolishness. They had just begun.

Through the starred sky, Toothless would spin and twirl, roar and bounce as they interchanged between radical dives and smooth slides on their flight. Hiccup would laugh, and once Jack got used to the extremity of their conditions, he joined along, his arms swinging forward until they laced around the boy's torso more carefully not to crush his ribs. There was magic on their flight, this feeling of being so high up that their problems were miles beneath them.

"Calmer now?" Hiccup finally asked once he felts Jack's arms warm up around his torso. Jack only nodded, his chin resting on Hiccup's collarbone.

Hiccup felt the butterflies on his stomach – those were different from the flight ones, those were warmer and filled not his body, but his heart. It was an intimate moment between two friends, full of feelings, but blossoming with complicity.

"I guess that's a way to overcome fear of heights." Jack muttered, and Hiccup chuckled.

"Don't tell me you are afraid." He said in a mocking tone.

"Bloody hell, Hic." Jack squeezed the boy tighter, and with a definitive move, Hiccup's hand flew down to meet Jack's just above his stomach. Ice and fire colliding.

"This is… magical." Jack said, his cheeks blushing, but Hiccup could not see that. "I mean... It's... it is, isn't it?" He babbled, and Hiccup had to laugh at the awkwardness.

"It is." Hiccup said. "I feel happy when I'm up here." The boy pressed himself tighter against Jack's frame. Beneath them, Toothless gurgled, as if trying to add to the conversation.

"I don't know about happy," Jack smirked, still blushing to his ears. "But definitely free."

Hiccup chuckled. "Aren't they somewhat the same?"

"Not really." Jack said. "But they do walk hand-in-hand often."

The smaller boy turned his head back, so he was staring right through Jack's eyes, but the night was so dark, that even the white flecks of hair and the shining blue eyes seemed misty and blurry for him.

"You can be quite deep sometimes." He mentioned, and he could feel Jack's breathing. He spoke softly, "Isn't happiness the way to freedom or vice-versa?"

"I used to think that too." Jack admitted. "But I'm more prone think that it's the other way around."

"Why so?" Hiccup wondered.

"Happiness lies in the moment, Hiccup."

"Oh, now it feels deeper." The boy said, and the wind was starting to pale on them as they flew so high on the clouds, but still never nearing the castle's shield.

"Happiness is just one aspect of the whole." Jack said. "Like your favourite season. You may love autumn, but winter comes nonetheless. There are more emotions, and we need them as well. We're not meant to live in one thing forever."

"Like happy?" Hiccup asked, annoyed.

"Too much happiness make us blind. And blindness makes us lose freedom." The words left the pale boy's lips so softly that they seemed to hit Hiccup like arrows. "I thought you'd be the one to see that more easily."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Because you've know pain." Jack's words were not destructive, but calm. "And hurting makes you alert."

There was a heavy silence. "What if I had enough of hurt?" Hiccup spoke, and even if he could barely see Jack in the night, Jack could see him just perfectly. His green eyes were watered, and the small fold between his eyebrows gave away how honestly he meant his words. Jack's hands held tighter on Hiccup's waist, his thumb rubbing on the skin between his clothes.

"It's just for a moment." Jack whispered.

Realising their closeness, Hiccup blushed, and it felt like the sky went a hundred shades darker as Hiccup's flushed face seemed to light up in the sky, floating with no boundaries. Completely free.

He looked away.

"Happy New Year, Hiccup." Jack whispered again, pressing harder on the boy's stomach. Hiccup looked back at him, his lips slightly apart. And before the other boy could say anything else, he leaned in for his lips. The kiss was so sudden, and Jack thought for an instant that he went too far when Hiccup leaned back into him, kissing him just as eagerly, locking his lips, his chest burning like pure raging fire.


	21. Rogue

**Chapter Twenty-One**

 **Rogue**

It happened that night. The moment the man stepped out of his house. From the street, you could feel the tension coming from everywhere, every family in every building preparing to celebrate the New Year's Eve. The man anchored himself on his bench, looking. His back would hurt from all the time standing up and his wrinkles gave away his elderly age. Still, he wanted to see the fireworks. He found them beautiful.

The chant of the final seconds began. Miles from the Thames, he could hear the numbers being yelled by the crowd gathered in front of the river.

" _Happy New Year!_ " The bells from the Big Ben roared over the buildings, followed by the explosion of the fireworks, resonating so that every bone in his body shook.

The man's fingers grabbed his cigarettes, taking one to his lips, as the other hand struggled with the lighter, snapping it twice before bursting the flame. He puffed the smoke out, slowly, savouring the ashes. The bell kept echoing, once every five seconds.

The fireworks blew louder. The explosions in multiple shades went brighter. Sparks of red and gold, silver-green and blue, crossing the river miles from there, but he could see it at the distance. How the darkness suddenly increased around the fireworks, as if covering them in blackness, not even the London Eye visible behind the pitch.

That was when the sparks exploded around the structure of the Ferris wheel. A rain of fire fell over the river, and the screams of the crowd echoed as they were engulfed in the flames, but these were pure black and red. Gigantic lightning bolts exploded from the Eye, and it was like a giant hand slammed against the water, a pulse of dark wind stronger than the very atmosphere, a spectacle of deadly lights opening the year.

From the bench, the cigarette fell from the Muggle's mouth, and he stared in awe at scene, baffled from what he had just witnessed, and the screams replaced the cheers as panic rose in London.

#

" _There is no evidence of Magical Influence on the Thames River's attack last New Year's Eve._ " MININSTER FOR MAGIC DENIES DEATH EATERS ROLE IN NEW YEAR'S ATTACKS.

" _The Muggles must fight for their own._ " Head of international security department denies involvement in Muggle's war.

#

The students came back on the Hogwarts Express the very next morning, filling the castle's corridors with echoes of the chatters and conversations. The news of the attack on the London Eye ran like Fiendfyre. Was that a work from the Death Eaters? Who was this new dark wizard that had no fear of exposition, and who had such power strong enough to kill nearly one hundred wizards at once?

Jack's fingers would constantly rub the bronze moon charm, having memorised every last sulk on the cold surface. He came down the marble staircases with Aster and Astrid behind him. The shock of seeing the crowded corridors after two weeks of emptiness was disappointing. That short period of gold bliss was over. Time to go back to lessons, duties and…

" _Of course, not, Minerva, but I must warn you…"_

" _For YOU it is 'Professor McGonagall'_ ".

The angry voices would raise from the very entrance.

"We have a loose Obscurial on this school, _Professor_ , and as far as I can see it, you refuse to see the facts _and therefore_ , by consequence of your inaptitude," There was a general 'wow' from all the students near, "Risking the safety of your own students."

Jack stepped down in the staircase, joining the mass of students crowded around the heated argument. Professor McGonagall stared, smoke nearly fuming out her eyes as she looked at White with a massive anger. "I will not allow you to run your tortures on my school."

"This _torture_ as you so defiantly name, is approved Ministry methods to guarantee the students security. Should I allow them otherwise?! I think not! And if you're in the way of security, Minerva, then by definition, you are a threat and an enemy _yourself_!" She gestured to the students, but there was no support from them whatsoever. McGonagall took out her wand.

Four aurors ran into the Great hall, from the doors, the stairs, coming through the crowd wielding their wands. Some people screamed as White herself grabbed her wand. "It's five against you, Minerva, I recommend you to lay your wand."

"She's not alone!" Another voice spoke, this time a male. Professor Neville Longbottom walked up past the students wielding his own wand, but McGonagall objected, jerking her own wand at him.

"Yes, I am, Professor Longbottom." She spoke. "Hogwarts still needs you." And suddenly she gave the Professor the very position she had been on years ago. "If anything happens to me, the students will need your support."

Professor Longbottom stepped back, gulping. And he hated what he saw next.

McGonagall's wand jerked forward, a blast of red lights flew towards the aurors, and while the students screamed, the fight erupted in the Hall. Yells from the aurors, screams from the students, bolts of lights flying everywhere, but Jack stood still, watching, frozen.

The aurors were down in instants, being no match for McGonagall's precise spells, but then it was up to her and White. The two witches stared for a while, rounding each other like tigers about to clench on themselves. White made the first move, and a green bolt of magic darted towards McGonagall, being captured by the eldest red spell. Curse and Hex joined, they wands connected in a massive eruption of red and green magic. In the awe that came from everyone's mouth, McGonagall stood, as fierce and powerful as ever, her eyes glistening from the long held anger against the witch in front of her. There was a strong impulse erupting from McGonagall's wand, and White was pushed backwards to the ground, at the same time another ten aurors ran into the Hall.

With a swift motion, the witch casted a final spell not against the aurors, but to the statues, immediately giving them life. They bolted upwards, wielding their swords and axes, swinging them through the air as they stormed over the aurors, now desperately trying to subdue the walking statues.

White had just got back on her feet, shooting a devious look at the Headmistress before shouting: "You can't go anywhere! I have every entrance guarded, there is no way you could possibly leave the castle!"

"I still happen to be the Headmistress here." McGonagall said fiercely. "And you'll have really big shoes to fill in after me. Bring her hell." She shot one last look at Professor Longbottom. And with that said, McGonagall gave a spin, twisting on her feet before being engulfed in white smoke, disapparating from the castle and leaving behind five fallen wizards.

#

There was a strange feeling throughout the rest of the day. No one was particularly pleased with McGonagall's departure. Not even the Slytherins, who usually would cheer any loss from their Gryffindor peers. Jack met Hiccup at the Entrance Courtyard, where the freckled boy would hug his own arms to warm himself up against the cold.

"Hic." Jack said as he approached the boy.

"Hey Jack." Hiccup replied, blushing as he saw the white-haired boy, trying to avoid gazing against the other's eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you." The boy approached, also looking down.

Hiccup was nervous, tense. As if dreading what Jack was about to say. "What is it?" He said, finally.

Jack took a deep breathe, gathering enough courage to look at the other boy in the eyes. "How are you?"

Hiccup sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I'm alright."

"We haven't spoken properly since…" They got quiet.

You would think that the two boys would sneak out to get together at every lonely moment by now. That they'd be as secretive and passionate as two people could be. That was not the truth.

"Look, if you think it was a mistake, I get it." Hiccup started muttering, unsure. "I mean, I know it was just _in the moment_ …"

"Is that what you think?" Jack snapped suddenly. His eyes verging despair, and it broke Hiccup's heart. "Do you regret it?"

"No." Said Hiccup, rushed.

Both boys blushed, their ears and cheeks turning red. Jack could feel his own heart beating against his ribs. He looked around him. A blizzard would start falling any minute now. "Come on." He pulled Hiccup by his sleeves, guiding him to a covered area, far from the entrance. Far from everyone.

As they walked, their hands brushed against each other, but neither moved. As if a ghost had done it, Jack felt Hiccup's small finger curl around his own, secretly, hidden behind their robes.

"Did you…" Jack started, and he was shaking. He closed his eyes as his hands flew up to his own lips, remembering the way Hiccup's lips would press against them. "Did you like it?"

"I did." Hiccup replied, blushing to his ears. "I just… I just thought you didn't really mean it later."

"I meant it," said Jack. He looked down as Hiccup looked up, green eyes meeting the blue ones they used to admire from afar. Jack lifted his hands, now brushing against Hiccup's cheeks. "I would kiss you again if I could."

Hiccup leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and taking in the fire storm forming deep in his stomach. He wanted to close the distance so badly, every inch of his being asked for this.

"We can't." Said Hiccup.

"I know." Came the reply, and they leaned into a kiss. This one was nothing like their last. This one was sweet and filled with pain, the heat not raging on them like last time, but soothing, a blossoming flame. You could tell Jack leaned first, but Hiccup reciprocated just as eagerly. How many times hadn't the two boys thought back on repeating this one kiss, and now that they were actually doing so, it felt like fuel for Jack, burning through his body as he swung his free arm around the other boy's waist, and for a moment, he thought: _he's mine_.

As fast as it started, it ended, and just as fiercely. Hiccup was in a bliss at the sudden kiss, but made no attempts to lean back into it.

"Sorry about that, I couldn't help it." Said Jack, blushing now harder than before. "How did you like it, though?"

Hiccup looked up, still in a daze. "It felt quite rushed."

"Sorry," He spoke again, and with a devious smirk, they stepped away.

"You do know that we can't carry that for now, right?" Hiccup whispered. Jack sighed. "It's not that I don't _want_ to…"

"I know." Jack replied, also whispering. "I was about to say the same thing, actually."

Hiccup stepped back, cocking his eyebrow. "Were you?" He had an amused/confused expression, and that made jack chuckle for himself.

"…sort of, I guess?" He tried. "With White out there and now that McGonagall's gone."

"That's why we can't be together now." Hiccup spoke disappointed. His hand flew up to Jack's chest, his fingers inspecting the moon charm he gave the boy. "Apart at least we can figure it out." He looked down, his hand holding up to Jack's but did not shake it. "Deal?" He only held it, and breathed deeply when Jack squeezed back with his thumb.

"Deal."

* * *

 _Thank you so much for all your comments! I know, I'm a terrible replier - as much as I'm a horrible conversationalist in person - I would never know how to reply properly without blabbering a bunch of random and words, if not making a complete fool of myself, but I want all of you to know how much every individual message means to me. Thank you for your love and support to this story._

 _I also want for all of you to be safe, to hold on tight through this difficult time. We're living something historical right now. J.K. Rowling herself was affected by this virus, but gladly she's announced she is fully recovered. Someone I love dearly is in the front line right now battling this invisible enemy. I imagine some of you must have loved ones at risk as well. Let's keep holding on for them._

 _Let's keep working._

 _M. R. Roth_


	22. Burst

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

 **Burst**

 _BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

AGATHA WHITE HAS REPLACED MINERVA MCGONAGALL AS HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.

#

The wild and untamed red hair seemed to float through the corridors. The girl would turn at the corners, dodge the doors and sprint through every possible group of people. The girl had the most daring look in her eyes, and the most rebellious attitude as she ran past the Grounds and down the gardens to Care of Magical Creatures.

"Mer," A sweet feminine voice rose up as she approached the group of students. "We're here." The girl said.

Merida had the stormiest look as she approached the voice. She neared a girl with the most dashing golden hair, long enough to form a tall beehive over her head and still leave enough to fall over her back. Her deep green eyes were so lively that they seemed to fill her surroundings in dizzying warmth. And as they fell on Merida, this ravishing girl immediately pouted, figuring this was going to be one of the hard days when Merida would be nearly hostile.

"Azel," Merida greeted, her voice lower than usual.

"Guessing you woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Said the girl.

"No, the bed woke up the wrong side of me." Came the reply, sang in a deep Northern accent. "How late am I?"

"Not much," Azel said, looking down at her parchment as she scribbled with her quill. "White is on a good mood today,"

"Ah guess takin' out the Headmistress would make her day." Merida smirked. "Any news from Professor Longbottom though?"

Azel shook her head with a disappointed sigh. "He only told me to stay alert."

"Ah wonder how long eet will take until he calls it." Then Merida looked up, searching for the teacher. "And Ah also wonder where the hell is that disgusting woman,"

"She quit the class now that she became Headmistress." Azel explained. "Now she can pester us full time."

Merida wondered on it. "Well, at least we won't have any tortured animals for a while."

Azel smirked.

#

There were deep stormy clouds floating over the castle's towers that afternoon. It seemed to spread inside the walls as well. The students walked quietly, too scared to call in any attention from the Aurors _or_ professors _or_ , God forbid, from White.

The days were dark. Everyone could feel it. The tension seemed to emanate from the walls, waiting to erupt violently.

Spread through the castle, voice channels would echo to the students:

" _Any student organisation is now disbanded. Failure to comply will lead to immediate expulsion!"_

" _All third years must submit themselves to an interview in my office by five o'clock!"_

"I wish these things weren't tracked." Jack spoke to Hiccup once, low enough only he could hear.

"What, so you could explode it or something?" He asked. Jack nodded.

"Or something." He mumbled.

Hiccup could feel this tension working up on the taller boy. He didn't like it one bit. "Hey," He called, nudging his shoulder. "What's up with you?" He asked.

Jack shrugged. "I guess I'm tired." He said simply.

"Oh, cut the bollocks," Hiccup retorted, and Jack breathed deeply. "I can tell something's bothering you. I just want to help."

Jack didn't respond, his eyes scanning the floor around the other boy until they reached up to his eyes. Then he remained quiet.

"Oh," Hiccup muttered. He knew what that meant.

"Yeah," Jack replied, _brilliantly,_ he thought. The boys had started to walk again, this time in a much slower pace; the tension growing more awkwardly. Hiccup stared at his shoes as he walked, but the other's blue eyes roamed from the brunette boy to the nearly empty corridors around them and to the tapestries where man-sized chess pieces would stand against the walls. Hogwarts was full of these statues ornamenting the halls. _How dusty can they be?_ Jack wondered before grabbing Hiccup by his wrist and pulling him with a sharp tug, both boys disappearing under the shadows behind the iron king piece. Jack pushed Hiccup backwards against the dark wall, the boy nearly losing balance before the pale hands held his neck and cheeks, slamming his lips with his own.

It took a moment before the shorter boy allowed himself to sink into the feeling that was Jack, his knees nearly giving in. Everything was so vicious about that moment, that Hiccup nearly forgot they could still be heard when a particularly loud moan escaped his mouth. Jack's pale hand almost slapped his mouth, holding itself back just enough not to be hurtful. Hiccup pushed it down.

"I thought we weren't going to do this." He panted, his eyelids half-closed, his mind foggy.

"Agh, don't ruin it." Jack replied, leaning his back against the iron statue while Hiccup held himself against the wall. They stood there, breathing heavily, the heat of the moment slowly undoing itself between them.

"How is it gonna be, Jack?" Hiccup asked between his breaths. "Are we gonna keep saying we can't do this and then just steal these moments?"

"It could be." Jack shot, but in truth he felt nearly attacked. But what was the pointing in hiding by then? "I like you so damn much."

The other boy only stared, smiling faintly. "I really like you too." He replied, equally breathless. Then he leaned over Jack, his hands holding down on his chest. "Let's just keep this to ourselves." He concluded. Jack agreed before recapturing his lips.

It became a recurring habit. Jack and Hiccup would meet in the quiet hours, sneaking in behind the library bookshelves, or behind the old statues that scattered around the school, and changed short words before one of them would end up making a move. Jack's lips were often dry after his make out sections with Hiccup.

There must have been a list with the strangest places they went to make out. Inside the broomsticks closet, against the window of the Seventh Floor, the empty classroom near the Headmistress's office. Once, Jack's hands held too tightly over the Hiccup's robes, and they heard a small burbling grunt before Hiccup nearly shout for Toothless. They made sure the dragon was never at the inside pocket over Hiccup's chest again.

After one of those times, sneaking behind the tapestry of the double headed witch, they saw it. Walking right out of the fifth floor corridor, Aster stumbled like a drunk man, his hands pressing an ice cube against his forehead. Right behind him, Astrid kept her hands around his shoulder, guiding him through the corridor until he collapsed on the nearest seat.

Hiccup slowly walked up to them, Jack on his toll. "What happened to him?" He said, gingerly.

Astrid jumped at the sudden voice, but immediately rolled her eyes in relief at the sight of their friends. "He just had the interview with White." She explained. Jack had his mouth open.

Hiccup kneeled near Aster, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. His eyes had deep dark circles around them, and his lips were dry. "What happened to you, mate?"

Aster hugged himself, shaking his head. "I can't remember." He said. "I can't remember-" he repeated, shaking now violently.

"It's okay," Astrid came closer, also kneeling next to the boy, holding him steady. By the corner of his eyes, Jack saw how Astrid's eyes were glassy.

"I don't want to go back there." Aster said. "She wants us," He started, now looking directly at Hiccup. "She wants the muggle-borns."

The three friends remained in silence. Just then, another student walked right out from where Aster came. This one alone, and like Aster, hugging his chest, sweat covering his frightened pale face. He stopped in front of the four teens.

"She did it to you too, didn't she?" He said with a weak voice. "She's going to have us all killed by the end of the year."

A thunder exploded in the sky, and the light bathed that corridor, illuminating them in ghostly looks. Steps echoed in the corridor, and for a moment, Jack feared it would be White, but he soon found relief when he saw Professor Longbottom walking towards the teens.

"You should be going now," Longbottom said, a careful look shadowing his features. "White is looking for any trouble she can find tonight."

#

The students didn't go quietly under White's ruling.

When Hiccup walked down the marble stairs that morning, entering the corridors for the third floor, he stopped dead on his tracks:

Just a couple steps away from his place, a small green lake merged from the stone floor, trees and bushes pointing up from the water. The smell of putrefaction rose up from the corridor and flooded his nostrils, and Hiccup covered his nose with his sleeves not to feel the horrific scent. He could hear other students gathering behind himself, and from the other side of the swamp, he saw more students joining and even laughing at the view.

That is when he looked up, his eyes opening wide. Tied from the tree by the neck, hanging above six feet, he saw a damaged wooden doll of a witch, crudely resembling White, the horn of a stag deeply sunk in her neck. A stripe was waving by tip of the arrow:

 _Purity will kill us all._

#

That night, when the castle was silent, it happened. The air shimmered and shook before the walls around the office in the third floor exploded. The dark mass formed and condensed into a raging beast that broke through the concrete, smashed the corridor all the way into the office door, where it slammed against the wooden surface. Golden lights erupted, a protective spell that cast out the Obscurus back towards the hall, and with a pained sound, it flew back towards the windows, smashing the glass and crossing the grounds into the woods.

#

"Gentleman, we are running out of time." The grand Obscurial spoke behind his mask.

Again, the Order of the six Obscurial wizards was gathered in front of the fire, burning the wooden snake under the starred sky. Red light bathed their features beneath their hoods, and they all had apprehensive smirks to their faces.

"Our agent in the castle still had no luck in capturing the Obscurus, but I have been told that the child might be coming to her."

"The Order is infiltrated in the castle," spoke Gothel, the woman with long curly hair and some sort of cruel beauty. "They are trying to delay the Ministry's intervention in the school."

"We cannot be held back by a patch of mudbloods," Spoke Gerbier in his thick accent. "The Order of the Phoenix is nothing but a small obstacle."

The lead wizard stared at the French Obscurus with amusement. "I fear you underestimate our enemies, Gerbier." He said. "As far as I can remember, they were the first defence line against Lord Voldemort not twenty years ago."

"Pure luck." Gerbier replied, but there were no approving cheers from anyone in the Dark Order.

"How is our search for the Box?" The wizard spoke again, and now McNair stepped ahead.

"The box is hidden in the Castle, master." He said. "Deeply guarded in the heart of magic. It is virtually inaccessible."

"Not without a distraction, I assume." The grand Obscurus spoke again. He stepped closer to the fire, and the wizards could now see his mask, a metallic raven that seemed to shimmer with the fire in front of them. "You were a faithful servant of Lord Voldemort, McNair."

The wizard smiled, proudly. "Yes, I was, master."

"You've been hiding your true magical self for eleven years. In this Order, you have held your chair for the shortest time. So tell me," he looked down, walking away from McNair. "Once we have reached our goal, once we possess the box, and it's curse has been released into the world, how would you like your duty as the executioner?"

McNair smiled. "If it honours you, master, I would like it very much."

Behind his mask, the grand Obscurial smirked. "The attack on the London Eye was a tremendous success, but still, the Ministry managed to hide their existence from the Muggles." He looked back at the fire, the flames dancing around the snake. "Start spreading the word, gentlemen. Lady," Gothel bowed. "It's time the muggles start fearing magic again. Let the war start."

#

Professor Neville walked quickly around the halls, his hands cold, grabbing the edge of his robes, dirty with the herbology class. He was a tired man, two wars were stealing most of his youthful looks. His beard had yet to be made and the bags under his eyes gave his features a dark expression. He looked around nervously, making sure that he could blend in among the mass of students in a hurry to get to class.

Jack kept fidgeting with his feather through Transfiguration. The woman at the end of the room scribbling furiously as the students wrote down four times what was written in the blackboard.

"I'm sorry, professor White," Hannah Miller rose her hand, timidly. "Aren't we supposed to learn how to transform the creatures back to their original form after we cast the spell?" She said, looking with pity at the small cup on her table that used to be a raven.

"Yes dear, but that was when Professor McGonagall gave the class." White said in her minimal and enthusiastic tone. "However, I as a new teacher, must follow the standard Ministry procedures that ensure that you are taught properly."

#

Neville Longbottom hurried in his steps, breathing heavily until he reached the History of Magic classroom. He knocked once before entering, nearly out of breath. "I'm sorry, Professor Bean, but I need to borrow Mister Haddock for a moment."

Hiccup looked at the doorway where Professor Neville was standing. Behind him, he distinguished the high blonde beehive from Azel's hair and the characteristically wild red curls of Merida.

#

"I must inform you, Miss Miller, that as an enemy of the Ministry, I highly doubt that there is any value to McGonagall's old lessons. In fact you should forget most of what you read."

" _That's bollocks!"_ Another voice echoed, but no one could tell where this one came from. It was a boy, but Jack did not recognize it. It was as if emanated from the very walls.

"Who said that?" White demanded, taking her wand out of her dull brown robes. "Who was it?!" She insisted. Everyone stared at the walls in silence, until the first bang exploded.

This one came from outside the door, banging the wood, and from the corridors everyone heard the shouts, some of them scared, but in further notice they sounded more like laughter.

"Everyone, stay in your seats!" White nearly screamed, but there wasn't a single student sitting in its chair anymore. Everyone rushed to the door, swinging it open and then they saw it:

Fireworks lightened up the staircase to the Transfiguration classroom. The bright colours exploded and sparkled through the walls and flew at every direction over the students heads. While some people panicked and ducked, Jack swung his wand to his desk, commanding " _Accio!_ " until his backpack flew to his hand. He barely saw White, screaming her lungs out as she was nearly buried under the teenagers before he saw the small fireworks flying inside the classroom. More screams rose, but those were filled with joy.

In the mess, Jack ran down the stairs, nearly tumbling on a few students until he reached the bottom, sparks shooting and exploding way above on the ceiling, but originating smaller sets of tiny fireworks around the wondered students. He saw that a new swamp had formed on the corridor. The fifth on the castle only that week.

" _Anyone that do not return to the classroom immediately will face detention!_ " Jack heard White's voice trying to scream louder than the fireworks and the crowd that yelled along, but nobody really seemed to care or listen. The fireworks were exploding so loud above them that no one could blame them anyways.

Suddenly he felt something grabbing his right hand, and he looked down to see the reddish brown hair of Hiccup, a rushed expression as he tried to drag Jack away from the crowd.

"What are you doing here?" Jack nearly shouted, but Hiccup shushed him with a squeeze to his hand.

"Not here." He said. "Come, everyone is waiting."

"Waiting where-?!"

"Shush!" Hiccup ordered, and Jack went silent.

They ran up all the Great Staircase until they were at the seventh floor, all the time still hearing the fireworks' bangs on the lower floors. Hiccup guided the boy further through the corridors, and Jack was about to ask where they were going when Hiccup suddenly stopped.

"Hiccup, I-"

"Not now." Hiccup said, and the smaller boy furrowed his eyebrows in deep concentration. "Ugh, how do I get in again?"

For a moment Jack thought ' _He lost it'_ , when out of nowhere, a highly polished door materialised from the wall in front of them. The magic was so simple but so beautiful that Jack stared in awe.

"How…?" He started.

"Go on, get in-" Hiccup pushed him inside, and the heavy doors seemed so light that Jack wondered how they didn't fall from the portrait that held them. Jack was stunned to see a beautiful and spacious room, lit with a bluish-green light that seemed to irradiate from everywhere. He was about to start making questions when he realised that they were not alone.

Several students were spread through the room, waiting for him, and Professor Longbottom came up from between them: "Glad you two made it safely. Welcome, Jackson, to the Room of Requirement."

* * *

 _I hope you are all safe. Thank you so much for the comments! They've made my days. If I may dare to ask, please keep doing that. Your words are too powerful.  
I hope you are all safe. I would like to give a special shout-out to all of you who right now are trapped in an abusive household. I can't stress how lonely you must be feeling. I'm with you._  
 _Send me a private message if necessary - if you need an urgent reply, which I'll do my best to do so, open your message with '#Mars'._  
 _Please, do stay busy. Stay strong. Stay sharp.  
_


	23. Army

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

 **Army**

Jack was speechless. The room was stacked with books and small cushions, excessively cosy for Jack's expectations. Standing in the room, he immediately saw Astrid, Aster, that Slytherin girl Merida, a blonde girl with a beehive that seemed way too big for a regular sized hair, a few other fifth years and at least another twenty other students that he didn't know.

"I'm glad your plan worked out, Haddock." Neville said. "And you made it out without a scratch!"

"Just barely," Hiccup replied. "Those fireworks worked better than I expected. Everybody left the room." He explained.

"How was White, though?" Astrid asked, smirking. Hiccup winked.

"Desperate."

"What is this?" Jack asked, still in awe, and everybody looked back at him.

"This is the Room of Requirement, Jack." Astrid said, walking up to her friend, her wand firm in her hand. "It's a secret place where a student could go to if he was in desperate need."

Jack still had his mouth open in shock. "I see."

"It's been a while since I've been here." Professor Longbottom said. "Twenty years ago, to be precise." Everybody got closer now, listening attentively to a war hero. "Back in my fifth year, when another Ministry's lackey started intervening on the school. We gathered here where we could learn how to fight back, but…" You could feel apprehension rising on the room. "It was nothing in comparison with today. Last time I got here, back in the Battle of Hogwarts, I thought the room would be sealed off. Now listen up, everyone. McGonagall left the school just this week, but she left me in charge of protecting you. But the way things are going, I am not sure how long I can keep all of you safe from White. She is backed up by the aurors and they are backed up by the Ministry." A gut wrenching silence followed. "It would not be too far to assume that the entire Ministry is compromised."

"What about the Order?" Astrid said, and Jack's heart nearly skipped a beat at the thought of having the Order of the Phoenix standing up against White and the fact that Astrid was talking about it in front of so many students when Hagrid had asked for absolute silence. But apparently, the news weren't as shocking for everyone else.

"You are still too young to join the Order," The Professor said, and there was a collective sigh of disappointment.

"Then let's make our own."

Jack looked to Hiccup, who never seemed braver than when he said those last words, not when he jumped off a tower or flew on Toothless back. The boy looked back at him, and soon he heard the first shouts of encouragement.

"Yes!" The other students replied. "Let's put White to run."

Professor Longbottom looked back at Hiccup. "You called it, Haddock. You name it."

Hiccup thought for a second. "How about… the Black Army?"

"Dramatic much?" Jack commented, but he had to admit that he liked the way it sounded.

"Let's do it," Merida's thick Scottish accent spoke. "The Black Army it is."

There were cheers of excitement rising through the room, Jack and Hiccup could feel it in their bones. Professor Longbottom smiled, he seemed proud. "Okay, then." He said. "We're going to need more space, though."

As soon as he said that, the room shook, and Jack feared for the worst, until he realised that the floor expanded, meters and meters to every direction, and he felt as if he was moving along with the ground. More pillars formed along with the new room, and in a moment the room expanded enough to conceal not just the students, but from the shadows emerged what seemed like metallic manikins, masks on their faces that Jack immediately recognised to mimic Death Eaters.

"Come on, then," Professor Longbottom said. "You better get started, You'll have until lunch, White will be stuck in the fireworks and the swamp until then. You've got around two hours."

And with that, he quickly rushed to the outside. Astrid and Jack stared at the door as it shut, and just like that, they put themselves to practice. Hiccup wasted no time in wandering to the book shelves at the corner of the room, immediately reaching the ones at the very top, even if he had to climb the shelf.

"A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions... The Dark Arts Outsmarted... Self-Defensive Spellwork... wow…" He said, and Jack noticed how his eyes seemed to glisten in lust as his hands reached for the first hard cover he could touch. The blonde girl with the Beehive approached him. "Jack, this is amazing, this is everything we could possibly ask for!"

And then the girl took no time in piling as many books as she could carry in her arms, collapsing to the neared cushion.

"Take care there, Azel," Merida said, walking up to her friend. " _Jinx for The Jinxed'_ doesn't really sound like somethin' yeh really nee' ter read."

"I haven't found most of these books in the Lybrary, yet… I only dreamt of those titles in my wildest dreams, this room is _perfect_!" The girl _Azel_ complained in a sweet sang voice. Jack chuckled before walking towards Hiccup, taking the book on the highest shelf for him.

"A literal dream coming true, I guess?" Jack said, offering the book.

"Definitely much better than the cove." Hiccup replied in a deeper tone. He then looked around. Apparently no one really knew how to start. "How are we going to help them, Jack?"

Jack just looked at him, smirking. "The same way you've been helping me." Hiccup looked back at him, green in blue. "Come on, it can't be that hard."

The white haired boy turned on his heels, and looked over the other 26 people talking loudly in the room. "Hey, everyone?"

Nobody seemed to notice him. "Alright, quiet please?!"

Hiccup hid his smirk at the awkward fail, rolling his eyes. _He needs a whistle.._. And at arms reach, a whistle seemed to enter his focus, hanging in front of him. He took it, and blew it hard. Jack jumped at the sudden sound, and everyone seemed to quiet down instantly.

"Not bad," Jack muttered. "Thanks."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, stepping ahead of Jack. "Okay, listen up everyone. I think that for being our first meeting, we could start small. How about _Expeliarmus_ for a first try? You know, the disarming charm."

"That's Potter's spell, isn't it?" Aster spoke from where he was standing with Astrid, and Jack had the sudden impression that they were a bit too close for friendliness.

"Yes." Hiccup replied, and everyone seemed to cheer up in excitement. "Come on, pair up everybody, and try to stick to your partners _only_." He said.

* * *

There were books after books of defensive spells, and as most of the room practiced the disarming and stunning charms, some Ravenclaws took their sweet time winging through the pages looking after new hexes and curses they could use. Azel took a sudden interest in the _Muy Obscure Rituals_ from Sotanaht Grim, the detailings of the world levelling curse.

"I see no use for this book, Azel…" Hiccup commented after the girl motioned it to him, not raising his eyes from the heavy book on his lap. "That's not precisely what were dealing with."

"Gladly so… I can't even believe books with these instructions still exist, we should burn those…"

"Nah, far chances," Aster called out from the center of the room, as he duelled disarming charms against a Hufflepuff girl. "Old dark books like these ar' protected by magic, not even fyendfire could destroy it so easily…"

"It does have burn marks all over…" The girl whispered as she examined that hard cover.

"I suppose someone else must have thought of the same thing, then." Hiccup said again, still not raising his eyes from the pages.

" _Small curses, Soul breaking curses, Horcrux making, the unspoken unforgivable spells…_ Which spell could be worse than the unforgivable ones?"

Hiccup had no answer to it, but he jumped in fright as the girl shut the book loudly with a resonating thump. "Well, if we can't destroy it, we better hide it. I know a place. Have you found the next jix yet?"

Hiccup finally lifted his face. "I have." As he stood up, he marked the book page with his own finger. "I don't suppose we have enough training for this one yet, and you just went through a whole bunch of curses, but what you think of trying the Cofringo charm?" He bit his lip.

Azel made a darkened face. "Don't you think of it as too much? Why would we need to blow things up, though?"

Hiccup shrugged, but soon enough Aster ran up to them, his brow chirmed up. "Well, I wouldn't mind seeing some fire… although the further from my face, the better. But on White's ass? I wouldn't mind a bit."

Hiccup snorted a chuckle, but Azel remained with a dark furrow. "But still, Aster, that'd encourage more than violence…" He gave her a stern look. "Self defence? Sure, but those are full on harmful attacks, we should go for peace first…"

"I'd beg to differ," Aster retorted. "I see ya aimin' for the path of love, I guess… But trust me, blondie, there's no freakin' love letter when it comes to pigs like White. I'm sorry to say that, but you've had it too easy. We don't kiss bigots, we punch them. Hard. I rather resource towards the path of good old violence."

He said that in that perfect manner that only Aster could bring, just enough elegant and rebellious that a huge laughter erupted from the surrounding students who listened intently to the conversation. Some even straight up clapped Aster. And as Hiccup worried for Azel's reaction to her poor reality check, he surprised himself at seeing her nodding along, dropping her head in acceptance as Aster gave her light pats on her shoulder.

* * *

"The first meeting of the Black Army." Jack said much later, when he, Astrid, Aster and Hiccup were outside the Room of Requirement. The day had passed, and now they were starting their way to their common rooms. "I guess it went well,"

"Are you kiddin' me?" Aster spoke, and he seemed angry. "That bloody fourth year nearly took out my eye with that errant spell!"

"Oh, Aster, you're exaggerating, it just burnt up your brow." Astrid said, rolling her eyes, but that did not make Aster any happier.

"I swear, next time better everyone be up in lines." He said, angrily.

"I think it went great." Hiccup said. "I mean, they need some practice but at least they won't be completely defenceless in case anything happens."

"Argh, what could possibly happen?" Started Aster. "I mean, it's not like there's a riot going on in the castle or Dark Marks appearing everywhere," He said in a clearly mock tone.

They reached the point where Ravenclaws and Gryffindors got apart.

"You two go on," Jack said, and did not wait for an answer before he started pulling/dragging Hiccup out to his tower.

"How chivalrous." Hiccup said, smiling until he noticed the dark tone on Jack's face. "Is everything alright?" He asked, worried.

"Fine," Jack lied, but Hiccup could tell. Gingerly, he snatched Jack's fingers with his own, and the warmth seemed to comfort both. They walked quietly until they reached the West Wing of the castle, now empty as most students were already inside. "Hic," The smaller boy stopped in front of him, eyes open wide. "I don't want to keep doing this."

Hiccup stared in shock. "What?"

Jack raised their linked hands. "This, Hiccup." He said, now letting go of the boy's hands and pointing everywhere, desperate. "I can't keep up with all this right now."

"You just gestured to all of me." Hiccup retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Damn you, Hic…" Jack was sweating, his face starting to screw in a frown.

"Jack, we've already had this talk." The small hands grabbed Jack's sleeves. "We agreed on keeping this a secret, specially when White is watching us-"

"-no, we agreed on not doing anything until it was safe." Jack interrupted, stepping away. "And here we are, giving hands, making out when nobody's watching."

"We wanted it this way!" The green eyes watered, and both boys were about to start crying. "I did it because I thought you liked me."

"I do like you!" Jack exclaimed, actual tears forming out of his blue eyes. "I _like_ you, and that's the problem. That's the whole bloody problem, it's because I like you that it hurts the most."

Jack held the other boy by his shoulders, squeezing lightly. Hiccup sighed: "I like you too," He said. "And I don't want to lose you."

The taller boy sighed. "You're not losing me, Hic, it's just... It's not-"

"Safe." Hiccup finished, not looking at Jack. There was a long pause.

"Yes." He concluded. "If things were different… If I…" Jack swallowed, drily. "I could be different."

"Why is there never an ' _us'_ when you're talking?" Hiccup asked, and Jack stared at him. "You make those decisions for yourself. You always do."

"That's not it-" Jack tried.

"And it's fine." Hiccup interjected, nodding in self-assurance. "If that's what's best."

"Hic…" Jack pleaded, aiming for the boy's hands but the boy shied them away, walking towards the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jackson." And with that, Hiccup ran up the staircases, spitting the password of the common room and scribbling his signature on the daily checks, running off to his bedroom, stripping of his robes and collapsing on his bed. He wanted to hate Jack. He wanted to change all his feelings and condense them into this singular hatred for Jack Overland.

However, he couldn't. Because he knew that Jack was doing this for himself that things seemed easier. If it was up to Hiccup, he would dare for them to go out and do as they pleased. But he was not given the choice; Jack did that for Jack, and Hiccup was okay with it. _It's better this way_ , he thought before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

*Black Army refers to the Anarchist Group that surged in Ukraine in 1918, the Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine during the Russian Civil War.


End file.
